The EU Council has approved five European Defence Projects of Common Interest that bring member states together on drones, maritime and seabed defence, space, air and missile defence, and security along Europe’s eastern border.
The projects, known as EDPCIs, were introduced under the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), which was adopted by the EU in 2025, the Council informed on Monday.
It described them as collaborative industrial projects intended to develop military capabilities that are considered critical for the EU’s security and defence interests.
The five projects are eligible to receive EU funding through EDIP, which the Council said will support initial deployment and lay groundwork for possible further funding from the planned European Competitiveness Fund.
“These projects further demonstrate the practical cooperation between EU member states to provide for our own security,” Helen McEntee, Ireland’s Minister for Defence, said in the statement released by the Council.
She added that the work would be carried out “closely with our partners Norway and Ukraine”.
What the five projects cover
One project, Drone and Counter-Drone European Resolve (DECODER), focuses on building, scaling up and deploying drones, as well as technology designed to stop hostile drones, the Council said.
Integrated Maritime and Seabed Defence (IMSD) would create a system designed to help participating countries identify, deter and respond to threats at sea and on the seabed.
A project titled SPACE includes early-warning satellites to detect missile launches, satellite communications, and space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance — a term used for collecting information by observation and monitoring — alongside positioning and timing systems.
It also includes capabilities for “navigation warfare” and the rapid launch of replacement satellites when needed.
The EU Federated Integrated Air and Missile Defence including Early Warning (EU-FIAMD) project covers integrated air and missile defence, including early warning and coordinated command systems.
Eastern Flank Watch (EFW) focuses on security along the eastern border of participating countries across land, air, sea and cyber domains.
The European Commission launched a call for expressions of interest from member states on 16 February 2026 and received nine proposals.
The Commission proposed the final list of five projects on 3 July 2026, taking into account the opinion of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Defence Agency.
