EU agrees to accelerate defence industrial base ramp-up and simplify defence procurement
The European Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to simplify security and defence procurement, facilitate defence investments and support the defence industry.
The Commission proposed the defence omnibus a year ago, as part of the EU’s simplification agenda to boost Europe’s competitiveness. These measures directly address industry calls for faster, more flexible, and less burdensome defence industrial policies, strengthening Europe’s security and industrial resilience.
The agreement will facilitate the transfer of defence products within the EU. New EU-wide licences and broader exemptions from prior authorisation will make it simpler to transfer defence products across borders and help reduce delays.
The provisional deal also intends to streamline defence procurement procedures for contracting authorities and industry. This will reduce administrative burden and help accelerate defence procurement.
The agreement introduces faster permitting for defence projects, introducing a 42-working-day deadline for permit decisions and making approval automatic if authorities do not respond in time. This will help critical defence projects move forward more quickly.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for tech sovereignty, security and democracy said: “Europe’s security depends on our ability to act decisively, and that means removing barriers to innovation, speeding up defence production, and ensuring our industries can deliver when it matters most. This agreement is a critical step toward a more sovereign, resilient Europe.”
Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space, said:
“Today’s agreement on Defence Readiness Omnibus brings big change: Maximum 100 days to wait for defence industry permits instead of up to four years. Simpler procurement rules, smaller burdens. Small steps in rules, big steps in Defence Readiness. We will continue to defragment defence market.