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 to a final vote in early May. The Parliament also reportedly wants to add €15 billion to the proposed budget of €1.5 billion, from the proposed Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loans.
This paper does not intend to be an exhaustive presentation of all the EDIP provisions but to highlight the aspects that aim to increase European arms sales and the influence of the arms industry in European policies. In this respect, EDIP is ultimately a further step in a series of similar measures contributing to the growing militarisation of the European Union, which will greatly exacerbate the global arms race, and represents more of a threat to peace than a solution to growing tensions.
That context makes it even more problematic that the Parliament is severely restricting its own role in discussing the EDIP proposal.
Read the ENAAT Position paper on EDIP