EU governments have approved a package of new laws designed to simplify defence procurement, speed up permits and make it easier to invest in the EU’s defence industry.
The measures form part of the EU’s “Omnibus V” simplification package and cover procurement rules, permit-granting, reporting and cross-border cooperation, the Council of the EU said in a statement on Friday.
Ireland’s defence minister Helen McEntee said the changes would make it easier “to invest in, procure and deliver” defence capabilities.
The package includes two regulations and one directive — a type of EU law that sets goals countries must achieve through national legislation — covering defence readiness and investment, faster permit procedures and simpler rules for transfers of defence-related products within the EU.
One regulation changes how the European Defence Fund (EDF) — an EU funding programme for defence research and development — is managed and implemented, including simpler application requirements and additional support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
It also preserves the option for EU bodies such as the European Defence Agency to act as central purchasing bodies.
Permit deadlines and cross-border transfers
A second regulation sets a maximum permit-granting period of 102 working days for defence readiness projects, the Council said.
Permit requests would be treated as approved if the competent authority has not decided by the deadline, with national laws able to provide exceptions in cases of “grave risk” to human health or national security.
The directive also raises thresholds in the EU’s defence procurement rules, introduces the option of occasional joint procurement and adds flexibility for framework agreements.
It introduces two new mandatory general transfer licences — one for transfers between certified suppliers and recipients, and one for transfers under an intra-EU industrial partnership.
The Council said the laws will be published in the EU’s official journal in the coming days and will enter into force 20 days after publication.
