NBB #2023-07: EU Defence Industry Strategy and EIB top race

 

The latest ENAAT Newsletter is available here: ENAAT NBB 2023-07_09.10.2023

The main news are the announcement of an EU Defence Industry Strategy instead of Programme and Production Act, and how the EIB top race could pave the way to the European bank investing in weapons

Summary

EU funding for the arms industry
– A European Defence Industry Strategy (EDIS) instead of Programme or Production Act
– EDIRPA formally adopted with overwhelming majority
– Defence Fund to focus on conventional warfare in Europe and less projects?
– 2024 and MFF revision: the budgetary war is on
– EP draft report on CSDP calls for more funding
– ‘Replenishing EU defence stockpiles’: SEDE hearing and study
– EIB top race an “opportunity” to start funding weaponry?
– UK to take part in Horizon & Copernicus projects, a first step to defence research?

other aspects of European militarisation
– European Political Community and informal EU heads of state meetings
– Military spending as “relevant factor” for deficit beyond EU limits?
– Mixed pattern of citizens’ opinion on arms deliveries to Ukraine

EU Peace Facility & related news
– Peace Facility: EU auditors opinion, Armenia
– Ukraine: from support to “opportunities”
– EU mission to Gulf of Guinea expanded to Togo and Ivory Coast

more news

NBB 2026-2, EU militarisation going wild

27 March 2026

From dedicated funding programmes to diverting civil funds, from deregulation facilitating the business of arms to wave of security & defence partnerships, EU militarisation is going wild in 2026… Read our latest newsletter here: NBB 2026-2, 27/03/2026 SUMMARY: ENAAT news > Global Days Against Military Spending (GDAMS) Campaign to run from April 10 to May 9 > ‘US fighter jets: backbone of European air forces’ – StopWapenhandel blog EU support for the arms industry > Deregulating the arms industry: negotiations and EP calls for single market for defence > A SAFE 2.0 in the pipeline, Polish veto, French frustration

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The competitiveness trap: How EU ‘simplification’ fuels a global arms race

3 March 2026

This piece was first published as an Opinion article on EUobserver, ‘How the EU is deregulating arms-control to be like any other industry‘ For most citizens, terms like “simplification” and “harmonisation” sound positive. However, within the Brussels’ EU “bubble,” they are used as a Trojan horse for massive deregulation. Specifically, a new legislative package—the Defence Readiness Omnibus—threatens to overhaul how weapons are produced and sold, creating a dangerous precedent for global security. As “Trilogue” negotiations begin under the Cyprus EU Presidency, the stakes could not be higher. Under the guise of “completing the internal market” for defence and

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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:

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