The co-rapporteurs on the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA) in the European Parliament, Zdzisław Krasnodębski (ECR, Polish) for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), and Michael Gahler (EPP, German) for the ‘Security and Defence’ Subcommittee (SEDE), proposed, on Monday 6 February, that the instrument should not be endowed with €500 million, as proposed by the European Commission, but with €1.5 billion.
This proposal was supported by the EPP, S&D and Renew Europe shadow rapporteurs, but those from the Greens/EFA wanted to keep the original amount, “given that this is a pilot project”, said Jakop Dalunde (Greens/EFA, Swedish).
According to Mr Gahler, “given the need to support Ukraine and strengthen Moldova’s defence capabilities”, the co-rapporteurs propose opening the instrument to these two countries “by allowing the EU to purchase additional quantities from these two countries”.
“In addition, we are introducing bonuses for the inclusion of two countries on Europe’s eastern flank in the consortia and for buying arms for Ukraine and Moldova”, he added. These proposals are more controversial among the co-rapporteurs.
If Dragoş Tudorache (Romanian), for Renew Europe, welcomed the inclusion of Ukraine and Moldova, “a strong political signal to these two countries” and the “bonus for the eastern flank”, for the S&D, Elena Yoncheva (Bulgarian) was circumspect. According to her, “extending the instrument (to Moldova and Ukraine) is not its main objective” and “EDIRPA is there to help mainly the Member States”. Dominique Riquet (French), for Renew Europe, went further, saying that extending the instrument to Ukraine would be “inappropriate, without a legal basis” and that the amount allocated, even if it were increased to 1.5 billion, would in this case be “insufficient”.
Ms Yoncheva questioned the prioritisation of offers for countries bordering Russia or giving the most weapons to Ukraine, saying it was difficult to know who was giving the most, compared to whom or to what.
Furthermore, the Greens/EFA expressed their demands on EDIRPA, with Hannah Neumann (German) explaining that they wanted transparency, that the Parliament should have control with delegated acts and that EU money should not directly finance military equipment - which is not possible under the treaties and is not proposed by the Commission.
While the EU Council adopted its position on 1 December (see EUROPE 13075/24), both Mr Krasnodębski and the European Commission representative, François Arbault, called on the European Parliament to move quickly.
The draft report could be voted on at a joint committee meeting at the end of April and submitted to the plenary vote in June. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)