The European Parliament will consider a draft legislative act by the end of 2025 that will pave the way for Ukraine’s participation in the European Defence Fund (EDF). This was announced by Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defence.
Source: Censor.NET
“Our committee is working efficiently, and I’m pleased that we plan to vote on the EU Comprehensive Defence Package (Defence Omnibus Package) by the end of this year to be ready for the next stage of the European defence agenda,” Strack-Zimmermann stated.
EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius clarified that the preliminarily agreed “mini-package” will allow Ukraine to become an associate member of the European Defence Fund, marking an important step toward integrating Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex with Europe’s.
The document also provides for increased funding for defense investments through updates to existing EU programs — STEP, Horizon Europe, EDF, Digital Europe, and CEF — as part of the ReArm Europe initiative.
Members of the European Parliament emphasized that legislators insist the new law must ensure broader support for Ukraine’s defense industry and guarantee its full participation in joint research and development projects.
According to the Danish EU presidency, Ukraine’s accession to the EDF will open new opportunities for Ukrainian companies to partner in innovation and military technology. The total budget of the fund for 2021–2027 is €7.3 billion.
Discussion about this post