EU allocates €325 million for five defence projects involving Ukraine

The European Commission has allocated €325 million to support the creation and implementation of five European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCI). Ukraine is taking part in four of the five projects.

The projects focus on five priority areas: drones and counter-drone systems, maritime and seabed defence, space, air and missile defence, and strengthening security along the EU's eastern flank.

Commissioner's remarks

Andrius Kubilius, the EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, said member states, with EU support, are joining forces, sharing experience and jointly investing in the capabilities they need. According to him, the five projects focus on areas where faster action is needed to build a stronger and more resilient European defence.

What EDPCI projects are

EDPCI projects are large-scale industrial initiatives that create a framework for cooperation among member states on major defence programmes too large or complex for individual countries to carry out alone. They are designed to cover the entire development cycle of defence capabilities, from creation through deployment and operation. On average, 18 member states take part in each project. The Commission is expected to participate in the EDPCI projects, provide financial support and continue helping member states coordinate their implementation.

The funding was allocated under the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), which has a total budget of €1.5 billion. Lithuania earlier said the European Commission would consider a request from Baltic states for an additional €500 million to strengthen anti-drone defence. Separately, on 28 September, EU defence ministers were due to discuss the possibility of transferring Patriot air-defence interceptor missiles to Ukraine from member states' arsenals, in exchange for later manufacturer deliveries financed by Ukraine.