NBB #2023-05: EU funding for ammunition comes into force with overwhelming majority in EP

 

The latest ENAAT Newsletter is available here: ENAAT NBB 2023-05_20.07.2023

The main news is of course the adoption of ASAP, an EU funding programme to boost the production of ammunition and missiles. It is entering into force less than 3 months after the initial proposal, probably a record in EU history

Summary

EU funding for the arms industry
– EDF: 41 military R&D projects worth €832M focus on space, naval & cyber in 2022 under “European Donation for France”
– EU funding for ammunition comes into force with overwhelming majority in EP
– EDIRPA: deal reached on €300M to fund the joint procurement of military goods with EU budget
– European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP) proposal to come by end of the year
– Budget debate: +€1,5bn for the EU Defence Fund in long-term budget revision proposal

other aspects of European militarisation
– Foreign Affairs Councils and EU Summit endorsing further support to arms industry
– EU-NATO: official happy marriage provided EU plans are not too much…EU
– Climate & security: greening defence but not at the expense of industry competitiveness

EU Peace Facility & related news
– Peace Facility ceiling increased by €3.5bn, total EPF is now €12bn
– Ukraine: plans for a dedicated €20bn envelop under the EPF

Interesting links

more news

OSDE 2026

2 June 2026

Major Beneficiaries of EDF and ASAP.     Companies European Defence Fund (EDF) After the first three years of the EDF, about a thousand different entities (companies, research institutes, universities, government agencies and a few CSOs) have received funding. It is clear that a large portion of the money goes to a small set of large arms companies. This is exacerbated by the fact that many of these companies own (parts) of other beneficiaries, in the form of takeovers, joint ventures, subsidiaries or major shareholder ownership. With this in mind, almost a quarter of the funding ends up

Read more >

09/06 at 6pm: “Breaking the consensus on EU funding for rearmamament” online conference

21 May 2026

ENAAT, GDAMS & StopReArmEurope invite you to an Interactive Online Conference***A militarised garden: Breaking the consensus on EU funding for rearmament * June 9 2026 at 18:00 CEST The session will begin from a practical observation: Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who challenge the current policy direction -particularly the rapid growth in certain spending priorities- represent a small minority, which limits their influence. Against this backdrop, the discussion will move beyond simple opposition and instead focus on more constructive and strategic exchange, structures around two main pillars:1) Understanding the MEPs’ perspective:Why do many MEPs feel that there

Read more >

Civil society calls on policymakers to prevent the weakening of arms exports control

8 May 2026

Today, +25 civil society organisations urge decision makers to prevent arms export control systems from being weakened under the pretext of ‘simplification’ and ‘efficiency’. The negotiations on the EU omnibus package relating to defence are well advanced and about to conclude, including on the proposals modifying the Transfer directive regulating intra-EU arms exports. Weapons and military technology cannot be sold like toys or cans of beans, and EU governments are the ones responsible for ensuring compliance with European and international law, in particular the EU Common position on arms exports, the Arms Trade Treaty and the Convention on

Read more >