Brussels plans to spend nearly 13 billion euros on defence capabilities and research over its next long-term budget as it seeks to boost resilience to the perceived threat from Russia and reduce Europe's reliance on the US for protection.

Defence is currently handled by Federica Mogherini, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, but she will leave office later this year when the current European Commission's mandate ends.

The sources said the incoming team could include a dedicated defence commissioner.

"Reflections are under way within the institutions for the creation of a directorate general in charge of security and defence issues", French Defence Minister Florence Parly said last month.

Several sources in EU institutions have told AFP that "the means have been identified to create a defence directorate general for a commissioner, if this is the mandate given to the next president" of the commission, the bloc's powerful executive.

The possible new commission is not due to be in place until November and officials say that for now nothing has been decided.

"The decision rests with the next commission president and the agreement of the member states is required, because defence is a national competence," explained a European official.

Another cautioned: "There are a lot of ideas but it's complex and in the end it's possible that nothing will happen."

The EU's next seven-year budget has 20 billion euros earmarked for defence overall, including 13 billion euros for the European Defence Fund (EDF) to co-finance industrial projects over the period 2021 to 2027.

Brussels officials are keen to stress that the money is for industry and research, and not to raise the kind of "EU army" that has been a bugbear for eurosceptics in several countries.

Parly also pointed out that, in EU terms, 13 billion euros over seven years is a relatively small sum, and pales into insignificance compared with the US, which spends nearly $700 billion on defence every year.

"This (13 billion) corresponds to the annual amount of investment devoted by France for its military equipment," Parly said.

"But this is huge for the EU, because we are starting from scratch."

- Tensions with Washington -

The drive to increase European defence funding has caused some tensions with Washington, where officials fear US defence companies may be shut out of EU projects.

France, Germany, Italy and Spain -- the EU's leading defence producers once Britain leaves the bloc -- have launched joint projects to produce combat planes and drones "so that they are no longer dependent on the capabilities of the US," Parly explained.

Some countries in Eastern Europe, on the other hand, have been pushing to use the funding to upgrade their ageing military industries in the hope of being better able to integrate with US-led forces.

Parly insisted there was "no question of turning our backs on NATO".

"But how can we be reliable as allies if we keep calling for help?" she said.

The debate over how to use the new funding may still be going on, but "the money will soon be there, and someone will be needed to manage it", a European official pointed out, with Parly pleading for "full-fledged leadership".

Creating a commissioner post would respond to this request, Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said.

She argues that managing the EDF should stay within the commission, which is responsible for managing the EU's common budget.

- Reluctance -

But defence has long been a jealously guarded sovereign power and EU countries are reluctant to hand it over to the commission.

Mogherini herself is also reluctant. Her team manages the EU's defence cooperation pact, called PESCO, and the major military capability projects launched at the end of 2018.

"Allowing a directorate-general for defence to be set up behind the back of the European External Action Service is like agreeing to have your pocket picked," a European diplomat explained.

"Creating a commissioner to manage a 13 billion euro budget is not justified. On the other hand, if its competences are extended to cybersecurity and the military aspects of satellite programmes, it makes more sense," a European official said.