The European Defence Fund will merely benefit the industry and trigger arms race in autonomous weapons, says ENAAT

Today the European Commission released its proposals for the Security and Defence heading under the next EU long-term budget. They confirm an unprecedented funding level for security and military priorites, with a Defence Fund jumping by 2200%. “The European Defence Fund will subsidize private actors for the Research & Development of controversial weaponry, which will then be used or exported according to industrial or strategic national interests”, warns the European Network Against Arms Trade.

Read the ENAAT full press release in English, French, Italian, German

more news

NBB 2026-1: Quiz, which of the EU institutions is the most arms-industry friendly?

22 January 2026

From EP’s early Christmas gifts to EC outbids to counter EDA’s revival, one wonders which of the EU institutions is the most arms industry-friendly…Read our latest newsletter here: NBB 2026-1, 16/01/26 SUMMARY ENAAT news > “Europe’s Hidden Hands: Funding and Arming the Genocide in Gaza” (Webinar series 26/01 & 02/02) > Stop Wapenhandel Blog: Weakening arms transfers rules in the name of ‘security’ and ‘competitiveness’ > Increasing concerns about civil society watchdog role at EU level > Citizens’ initiative asking the EC to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement EU support for the arms industry > EDIP & SAFE:

Read more >

Europe’s Hidden Hands: Funding and Arming the Genocide in Gaza

20 January 2026

  Two online webinars to explore the European complicity with the Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Monday 26/01, 6pm CET Monday 02/02, 6pm CET     Register here Programme Monday 26/01, 6pm CET “EU & European complicity through military cooperation and dependency”,  This session confronts Europe’s direct role in enabling Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its decades-long military occupation of Palestine. Far from being champions of diplomacy and peace, European countries and the EU continue arms trade, military cooperation, and political cover for Israel, even as mass atrocities unfold and international law is systematically violated. We will examine how

Read more >

Weakening arms trade rules for the sake of arms dealers

15 January 2026

As part of the “Defence Readiness Omnibus’ presented in June 2025, i.e. a deregulation package for the armament sector, the European Commission is proposing to “simplify” the EU directive for arms exports inside the EU, in short the ‘Transfers directive’. A first revision of this directive had been conducted in 2016, already problematic in several respects as we warned at the time. The current revision represents a further step towards the deregulation of arms transfers, with potentially significant impacts on the control of exports outside the EU. Read our Policy Briefing Note for more information on the dangerous

Read more >