Brussels, 25/03/2026 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 24 March, representatives of the EU Council and the European Parliament held a second round of negotiations on the proposal to simplify intra-EU transfers of defence-related products and the rules of security and defence procurement (part of the ‘Omnibus V’ simplification package - see EUROPE 13835/27). After an initial trilogue on 26 January, work continued at technical level with six interinstitutional meetings, which enabled significant progress. The political meeting covered a number of key points, such as harmonisation of the framework for intra-EU transfers, the thresholds of the Defence Procurement Directive and accelerated procurement procedures, including the conditions for European preference. The co-legislators were able to explore areas of convergence. Despite the progress made, further work is still required at both technical and political levels. A new political trilogue is scheduled for the end of April. (LC)