Statement: the EU Strategic Compass, a boon for the arms industry

On 21 March 2022, Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers of the EU adopted the Strategic Compass, after 2 years of negotiations. Meant to be a kind of White Paper on Defence for the EU, it now remains to be seen to what extent the political commitments will actually be kept. However, what is certain is that the most concrete proposals are a new boon for the arms industry in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Read our full statement in English and in French

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NBB 2025-2: ReArm Europe first implementation steps

4 May 2025

The latest issue of the ENAAT newsletter ‘News from the Brussels’ Bubble’ is now available online here We’ve witnessed another acceleration of EU militarisation in the past weeks, and today’s Newsletter tries to make an overview of the state of play as accurate as possible as of end of April, presenting first the main steps already taken by the EU to implement the ReArm Europe plan and White paper on defence, as well as other developments regarding EU militarisation, in particular the European Defence Industry programme and the revision of the EU Common position on arms exports control

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ENAAT position on EU Defence Industry Programme

22 April 2025

The European Defence Industry Programme: Another step towards arms race and exports deregulation In March 2024 the European Commission presented its Proposal for a Regulation establishing the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), accompanying the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS). While EU member states have been discussing the proposal for a year now, in particular debating whether the funds may also be used to buy arms from outside the EU, the European Parliament in March 2025 decided to fast-track its own decision-making process through an urgent procedure limiting the possibilities for discussion and for tabling amendments, with a view

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REARM Europe, the Myth of a European Defence for Peace, 7 May at 5.30pm

18 April 2025

As an organisation, grassroots movement or activist fighting for a better world, are you concerned about the exponential rise in military spending and its negative impact on your area of work? So are we! The European Network Against Arms Trade invites you to an online event as part of the Global Days Against Military Spending (GDAMS 2025) to learn about the latest developments, discuss how the European military spending and rearmament plan will exacerbate the global arms race and fuel conflicts, and how civil society can mobilise against European militarisation. The event will start with short presentations by

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