On Tuesday 21 November, the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, announced that the European Commission would be selecting around 20 projects from the calls for proposals launched on 18 October for the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) (see EUROPE 13274/25).
“A call for applications was launched on 18 October. It closes on 13 December. We have identified 70 projects in the preliminary phase and expect to retain between 20 and 25”, he explained during a question and answer session at the European Parliament. Mr Breton added that one of the incentive criteria would be to prioritise ammunition production for Ukraine. And companies reprioritising their production, including current production, for Ukraine, will be favoured.
The work programme is structured around five calls for proposals with indicative budgets of €190 million for explosives, €144 million for gunpowder, €90 million for shells, €40 million for missiles and €4.35 million for testing and reconditioning certification.
The European Commissioner said he was confident that the EU would be able to produce “1.3 to 1.4 million” rounds of ammunition per year from the end of 2024. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)