On Wednesday 15 April, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, said that Europeans would have to find an alternative to the defence equipment they usually buy from the United States, which accounts for 40% of their purchases.
“During the war with Iran, the Americans used two thirds of their missiles and interceptors, and for the next four to five years, they are going to use what they produce for their own purposes”, he warned at a hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defence. “The United States will no longer be able to supply us with our weapons, so we will have to ensure our own production”, he added. Mr Kubilius therefore called for an acceleration in European production, arguing that it is “increasing too slowly” and that production volumes are the primary deterrent. He highlighted the experience with Ukraine.
More broadly, Mr Kubilius acknowledged that the challenges facing Europeans were “far greater than those faced to date”. The Commissioner called on Parliament and the EU Council to agree on the Commission’s defence proposals, in particular the legislative simplification (‘omnibus’) presented in June (see EUROPE 13661/6). “We cannot afford to slow down or water down the process. We are asking the industry to pick up the pace. We too must assume our responsibilities”, he warned, adding that the aim is to reach an ambitious agreement in the coming weeks.
Mr Kubilius also called for the interinstitutional negotiations on military mobility to begin as soon as possible (see EUROPE 13832/14). “Let’s take action before the summer break. For our armed forces to be able to deploy quickly, we must first legislate quickly”, he insisted.
The Commissioner also called on Parliament to approve the February agreement allowing Canada to participate in SAFE (see EUROPE 13806/29).
Presenting the €115 million AGILE fund (see EUROPE 13836/4), the Commissioner explained that for the pilot project to be able to define commitments for the next Multiannual Financial Framework, it had to be operational by early 2027. “The clock is ticking. In my opinion, this matter could be fast-tracked”, he said.
Mr Kubilius also confirmed that the European Commission was working on proposals for a common market in defence products and services for this autumn. In his view, the EU will revise the Defence Procurement Directive with simplified rules that will enable Member States to buy better, together, and on a European scale. “In particular, we want to facilitate the acquisition of innovations”, he explained, adding that the Europeanisation of supply chains was another priority.
In addition, the Commission should present a communication on the common market for defence products and services, which would include concrete measures for a more integrated, more European, and more efficient defence market.
Finally, this summer Mr Kubilius will present a communication on the EU space shield. “It’s a plan for all our space capabilities for defence and government users”, he said.
The Commission is announcing over €1 billion of investment under the EDF. On the same day, the European Commission announced that, following the evaluation of the 2025 Calls for proposals on the European Defence Fund (EDF), it would invest €1.07 billion in 57 new projects. €675 million will support 32 capacity development initiatives and €332 million will go to 25 research projects.
These projects cover artificial intelligence (AI), cyber defence, drones and counter-drone systems. They involve 634 entities from 26 Member States and Norway. SMEs represent over 38% of participants and will receive over 21% of total funding.
See project details: https://aeur.eu/f/lk9 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)