Programme for agile and rapid defence innovation: Council ready to start negotiations with the European Parliament
Member states’ representatives (Coreper) approved today the Council’s mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposal to establish a new €115 million programme for agile and rapid defence innovation (AGILE).
Designed as a smart and nimble complement to the EU’s existing toolbox of defence industrial instruments, AGILE aims to provide rapid, agile and targeted financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – including start-ups and scale-ups. It will focus in particular on supporting the development and testing of emerging and disruptive defence products, including the adaptation of civil technologies for defence applications. Ultimately, this will help bridge the gap between development and deployment.
Russia’s war against Ukraine as well as the conflicts in the EU’s southern neighbourhood has made clear that rapid technological innovation can be decisive on the battlefield. We need to promote businesses that can deliver smart, affordable and adaptable solutions for our armed forces. AGILE will make this possible and thus strengthen Europe’s defence readiness (Vasilis Palmas, Minister of Defence of Cyprus).
Main amendments introduced by the Council
The Commission’s proposal for AGILE was contrived to be a game changer. The time-to-grant envisaged is an unprecedented four months only. Relevant products and technologies are expected to reach defence forces within one to three years.
The Council’s mandate supports the ambition of the Commission’s proposal and maintains its main features. To ensure ownership and buy-in, the Council created more possibilities for member states to get involved during the implementation of the Programme (‘comitology’).
Next steps
Following today’s approval of the Council’s mandate, the presidency will enter into inter-institutional negotiations once the European Parliament has finalised its internal deliberations on its part.