News from the Brussels’ Bubble, #2023-02

The latest issue of the EU project newsletter summarises the main news about EU funding for the arms industry and other aspects of EU militarisation over the last month. Enjoy the reading!

ENAAT NBB 2023-02_31.03.2023

SUMMARY

EU funding for the arms industry
– EDF work plan for 2023: €1.2 billion prioritising space and air & maritime warfare
– EDIRPA adoption looks more and more like a soap opera
– Commissioner Thierry Breton tours arms companies in Europe
– e2.5 billion to boost EU ammunition production and delivery to Ukraine (at least…)
– EDA brings together 23 countries for common procurement of ammunition, incl. Norway

Other aspects of EU militarisation
– EU military spending reaches 2% of the community budget and continues growing
– Denmark to join the EDA and PESCO
– Strategic Compass: one year later
– First edition of the Schuman Defence and Security Forum

EU Peace Facility & related news
– EPF financial ceiling increased to €8 billion and other modifications
– First lethal assistance measure in Africa for Niger, Somalia should follow

Interesting links

more news

“Security for Whom?” CSOs call EU leaders to move the money from the military to human security

18 June 2026

Ahead of the European Council held on 18 & 19 of June, where leaders will discuss the next EU budgetary cycle, civil society organisations from across the spectrum urge EU decision-makers to reject the military budget surge and invest in human security instead Open Letter initiated by TNI, ENAAT, Stop ReArm Europe 17 June 2026 Dear Heads of States and Governments, In the run-up to the next European Council taking place this week, at which you will discuss the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2028–2034), with a view to reaching a final agreement by the end of the

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Who profits from EU subsidies for the arms industry and where they export: read our fact-sheet

8 June 2026

Who profits from EU subsidies for the arms industry? Find out below which countries and companies benefit the most from the EU Defence Fund (EDF) and the Ammunition fund (ASAP), and where they export. More information and detailed data are available in the public platform Open Security Data Europe 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.

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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

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