The Commission has approved funding for five cross-border projects to support more coordinated and efficient defence procurement among EU Member States.
Implemented under the instrument for strengthening the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA), each of the five selected projects will receive €60 million, representing a total amount of €300 million in funding.
These first EU-funded projects, which mark a new era in European defence cooperation, support the joint procurement by Member States of essential defence products in three areas: procurement of air and missile defence systems, procurement of modern armoured vehicles and procurement of ammunition. The selected EDIRPA projects involve 20 Member States, some of which will participate for the first time in joint defence procurement projects.
By offering better value for money through economies of scale, joint procurement will make essential defence capabilities more affordable for Member States’ armed forces. Thanks to jointly procured products, Member States’ armed forces will benefit from increased interoperability. Larger contracts provide greater predictability and clearer prospects, which will strengthen European industry and enable it to adapt its production capacity to Europe’s defence needs. Common procurement will strengthen defence preparedness in EU Member States. Most of the selected projects also include the procurement of defence products for Ukraine, including air and missile defence systems and ammunition, reinforcing the country’s defence capabilities in the context of the ongoing Russian aggression.
More information: European Commission.
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