On Thursday 24 April, MEPs on the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and Security and Defence (SEDE) Committees adopted their position on the proposed creation of a European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) by 70 votes to 46, with 8 abstentions.
A number of MEPs “from several groups and several nationalities”, led by Andrzej Halicki (EPP, Polish), wanted to postpone the vote until early June. “The Polish Presidency is leading negotiations on this programme and on SAFE, for the structure of the two programmes is similar. We have the opportunity to improve the proposal by making minor changes, which are nonetheless important in terms of content. And there is nothing to stop us using the time at our disposal to improve the document”, he stressed. Some MEPs are particularly concerned about European preference.
The request for a postponement, which, according to co-rapporteur François-Xavier Bellamy (EPP, French), was not supported either by the co-rapporteurs or by the groups involved in the compromise text, was rejected.
The position adopted by the European Parliament is firmer than the Commission’s proposal. MEPs therefore want EDIP to only finance products where at least 70% of the estimated end product value is made up of components from the EU or associated countries.
MEPs also introduced the concept of “a design authority", which refers to “the entity that has the legal authority and capacity to decide, without restrictions on the part of non-associated countries or entities from non-associated countries, on the definition, adaptation and evolution of the product design, on the basis of the necessary ownership of intellectual property rights and control of technologies”.
Furthermore, in their view, European defence projects of common interest will only be eligible for funding if they involve at least six Member States, or at least four that are facing high exposure to the risk of conventional military threats. Furthermore, Ukraine must be able to participate.
MEPs would also like to see greater support for SMEs, with greater financial leverage than for other businesses.
The European Parliament is also proposing an increase in EDIP’s budget from €1.5 billion in the European Commission’s proposal to €21.5 billion (€1.5 billion from the EU budget, €15 billion in contributions from Member States and €5 billion to ensure the Ukraine defence industry’s technological and industrial base).
The MEPs also decided, by 90 votes to 20 with 5 abstentions, to give a mandate to the co-rapporteurs to negotiate with the EU Council, which has not yet established its position. The full Parliament will be informed of this decision at the plenary session, which will be held from 5 to 8 May. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)