The European Union has reached a preliminary agreement to launch a European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) with a budget of €1.5 billion for 2025-2027, which includes the direct participation of Ukraine. This was announced on the Council of the EU website.
From the total budget, €300 million will be allocated to the Instrument for Support to Ukraine. Ukraine will have the opportunity to join the European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs), aimed at developing defence capabilities, in particular with access to strategic areas, systems and technologies.
The programme also envisages industrial cooperation with Ukraine and Ukrainian companies, which should contribute to their further integration into the European Defence Technological Industrial Base (EDTIB). The aim of EDIP is to strengthen the competitiveness and efficiency of the European defence industrial complex.
The programme will introduce, for the first time in the history of the EU, a mechanism to guarantee the security of supply of defence products, and a European military sales mechanism with a centralised catalogue of defence products will be created.
The Council of the EU and the European Parliament agreed that the share of components from outside the EU and associated countries should not exceed 35% of the total cost of components of the final product. This decision was a compromise between the principle of priority for European manufacturers and cooperation with partners. At the same time, no components will be purchased from countries that conflict with the EU’s security and defense interests.
