The EU agrees to accelerate the development of the defence industrial base and streamline public procurement in the defence sector

The European Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to simplify public procurement in the fields of security and defence, facilitate investment in defence and support the defence industry.

The Commission proposed the comprehensive package of defence measures a year ago, as part of the EU’s simplification agenda to boost Europe’s competitiveness. These measures respond directly to the industry’s calls for faster, more flexible and less burdensome defence industrial policies, thereby strengthening Europe’s security and industrial resilience.

The agreement reached today will facilitate the transfer of defence products within the EU. New EU-wide licences and broader exemptions from prior authorisation will simplify the cross-border transfer of defence products and help reduce delays.

The agreement also aims to simplify defence procurement procedures for contracting authorities and industry. This will reduce the administrative burden and help to streamline defence procurement.

The provisional agreement streamlines the processing of permits for defence projects, setting a deadline of 42 working days for decisions on permits and granting automatic approval if the authorities fail to respond in time. This will allow critical defence projects to move forward more quickly.

Finally, the agreement simplifies access to the European Defence Fund to improve its implementation and streamline administrative requirements for applicants, in line with the sector’s views. It also reduces legal uncertainty by clarifying how EU legislation on chemicals applies to the defence sector.

Next steps

In the coming weeks, the Regulation will enter the formal adoption process by the European Parliament and the Council to ensure its swift entry into force.

Background

In June 2025, the Commissionproposedthe Defence Readiness Omnibus, a landmark package aligned with theWhite Paper on European Defence Readiness 2030. Designed to foster a defence readiness mindset across the EU, the package bolsters defence investment, enabling Member States and industry to respond swiftly and effectively to growing security threats. The package includes three key legislative files:

• A proposal for a regulation to speed up the granting of permits for defence preparedness projects.
• An amending regulation covering the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the REACH regulation on chemicals, ensuring greater alignment with defence needs.
• An amending directive aimed at simplifying intra-Community transfers of defence products and defence procurement procedures.

More information: European Commission.