On the evening of Monday 5 May, the European Commissioner for Defence, Andrius Kubilius, said that the funds allocated to the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) in the European Commission’s proposal in 2023 were too low.
“1.5 billion is really not enough”, he acknowledged at a hearing before the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Security and Defence.
While the European Parliament is proposing to use SAFE loans to finance EDIP - and thus have a budget of over €20 billion – Mr Kubilius said he did not know how this could be done. “What is very important is that the European Parliament has shown the need to have a much bigger budget line” for EDIP, adding that this will have an impact during discussions on the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
June will be a busy month for defence. As a result, the Commission could present an ‘omnibus’ package of measures on 19 June. With strategic consultations with the industry scheduled for the next few days, “it is very important to discuss the issues: regulation, supply, the possibility of expanding production”, explained Mr Kubilius.
He also hoped that, before the June European Council, the Commission would have a picture of Member States’ overall demands for increased defence industrial production capacity. “Based on these global demands, we plan to draw up an industrial plan, focusing on security of supply”, said Mr Kubilius.
At the same European Council, a list of common flagship projects could be presented. At the request of the EU High Representative and the Commissioner, Member States are currently required to notify their interest in developing these projects. According to the Commissioner, these could be programmes to speed up the production of munitions or drones.
In the autumn, the Commission intends to present its ‘European Armament Technological Roadmap’, “with an initial phase on AI and quantum”, in order to prepare Europe “not only for the wars of today, but also for the wars of tomorrow”, explained Mr Kubilius.
A new joint communication on military mobility, “including the necessary legislative proposals”, is also expected to be unveiled in the autumn. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)