The European Investment Bank and the European Defence Agency said their first year under an updated cooperation agreement led to the EDA advising the bank on defence-related EU projects seeking up to €700 million in financing in 2025.
The projects were described as aligned with EU defence priorities, and the EIB Group invested more than €4 billion in security and defence in 2025, the EDA said in a statement on Wednesday.
Funding supported infrastructure, research and development, and supply chain resilience, it added.
“EDA has been instrumental in supporting the EIB in deploying our Security and Defence Action Plan,” EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot said.
“In 2025, EDA supported assessment of projects worth as much as €700 million,” EDA Chief Executive André Denk said.
De Groot and Denk attended the EIB Group Forum in Luxembourg on 3 March 2026.
How the cooperation works
The EIB and EDA said they are aligning investment with “commonly agreed priorities” to avoid fragmentation and direct resources towards projects with the “highest added value” at European level.
The latest cooperation builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in 2018 and an updated agreement signed on 3 October 2024.
The updated deal was intended to facilitate access to finance for companies — particularly small and medium-sized enterprises — working on projects linked to capability development, innovation and industrial competitiveness.
Officials said joint workshops and technical exchanges helped clarify eligibility criteria and reduce uncertainty for firms seeking EIB backing, while the bank expanded eligibility for security and defence financing and set up a Security and Defence Office to speed up assessment of proposals.
