What changed

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

P10_TA(2026)0020

on dronesDrones and new systems of warfare – the EU’s need to adapt to be fit for today’s security challenges

(2025/2088(INI))

Committee on Security and Defence

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

PE775.735

– having regard to Articles 42(7) and 222 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),

European Parliament resolution of 22 January 2026 on drones and new systems of warfare – the EU’s need to adapt to be fit for today’s security challenges (2025/2088(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

– having regard to Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and Article 222 TFEU,

– having regard to the Commission proposal for a Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025)0571),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 29 November 2022 entitled ‘A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Ecosystem in Europe’ (COM(2022)0652),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 5 March 2024 entitled ‘A New European Defence Industrial Strategy: Achieving EU Readiness through a Responsive and Resilient European Defence Industry’ (JOIN(2025)0010),(JOIN(2024)0010),

– having regard to the Informal meeting of Heads of State or Government in Copenhagen of 1 October 2025,

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 19 March 2025 entitled, ‘Joint white paper for European Defence Readiness 2030’, which refers to the European Peace Facility and its support of dronerelated capability delivery in Ukraine,

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 5 March 2025 entitled ‘A new European Defence Industrial Strategy: Achieving EU readiness through a responsive and resilient European Defence Industry’, (JOIN(2024)0010),

– having regard the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, including the Security Action for Europe and Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency instruments, as critical enablers for scaling up dualuse innovation and industrial resilience,

– having regard to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/675 of 4 April 2025 amending Regulation (EU) No 1302/2014 concerning a technical specification for interoperability relating to the rolling stock — locomotives and passenger rolling stock subsystem of the rail system in the European Union and Implementing Decision 2011/665/EU on the register of authorised types of railway vehicles and the Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport’s adoption of automated systems for authorising personnel carriages in military freight trains, as part of a broader effort to modernise and accelerate logistic procedures across the trans-European transport network,

– having regard to the decision by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation and Member States (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) to launch the Eurodrone MALE RPAS programme, formalised by the EUR 7.17,1 billion contract signed in February 2022 to develop and produce 60 drones, and its evolution through the 2024 preliminary design review and the upcoming critical design review in 2025, EU funding support (of EUR 100 million in 2024) and the accession of India as an observer in early 2025,

– having regard to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ recommendations on lethal autonomous weapons systems and UN reports on the use of armed drones under international law,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Security and Defence (A[100000/2025]),(A100270/2025),

Drone warfare

M. whereas these new rules cover virtually all rare-earth elements essential to drone manufacture and anti-drone capabilities and require Chinese suppliers to obtain export licences from the Ministry of Commerce, effectively subjecting the entire EU drone industry to Chinese export approval, demonstrating the strategic imperative of building a resilient and autonomous downstream supply chain for the drone industry;

N. whereas the new Chinese export restrictions announced and partially implemented on 9 October 2025 require export licences for products containing even trace amounts (above 0.10,1 %) of rare earth metals mined or processed in China, with Beijing explicitly stating that licences will not be granted to foreign defence sector entities;

O. whereas the EU must urgently develop alternative sources, recycling capacity and sovereign extraction of critical raw materials to reduce the vulnerabilities created by Chinese export restrictions and global supply-chain concentration;

Strategic partnerships

T. whereas strategic partnerships are essential to achieving the mass and qualitative edge required to reach operational thresholds and access to expertise and raw materials; U. whereas such partnerships must reinforce European security and defence capabilities, remain reciprocal, transparent and consistent while avoiding critical dependencies on third countries in defence technologies, components, software and raw materials;

U. whereas such partnerships must reinforce European security and defence capabilities, remain reciprocal, transparent and consistent while avoiding critical dependencies on third countries in defence technologies, components, software and raw materials;

V. whereas cooperation with key partners such as Ukraine is of particular importance, given its unparalleled battlefield experience, rapid innovation and adaptation cycles, integration of civilian and military innovation ecosystems and large-scale drone-production capacity, which provide unique insights for strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB);

AC. whereas naval drones represent a significant threat for both commercial and military vessels, and important trade routes, making the development of defence capabilities a necessity;

AD. whereas Ukraine produces over 4.54,5 million drones annually while under daily attack from increasingly sophisticated Russian drone swarms and has demonstrated, since the brutal aggression by Russia launched in February 2022, that the drone industry can be rapidly upgraded and modernised, thereby democratising access to key technologies and enabling effective self-defence;

Scaling to meet the Russian threat

101. Recommends incentivising EDF grants to ensure:

1)(1) that competitions give vendors extra points to companies sourcing components from the EU;

2)(2) that tenders are open to select third countries such as Ukraine and third countries with Strategic Partnership Agreements with the EU;

3)(3) staff-to-staff exchanges on the sourcing of components;

102. Calls on the EDA to assess vendors on their operational impact and cost-efficiency in completing mission objectives rather than focusing solely on unit price;

a. standardising open architectures and interfaces for interoperability;

b. mandating open modular standards for all EU-funded drone systems to enable plug-and-play component swaps (e.g. sensors, radios) from multiple suppliers, and coordinating with NATO to align standards and interoperability needs;

coordinating with NATO to align standards and interoperability needs;

159. Recalls the address made by Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen to Parliament on 8 October 2025, and underlines the strategic scope of developing stronger collaboration between the EU and Greenland in order for European companies to gain access to raw materials in a partnership with the Greenlandic Government based on the use of sustainable practices;

327. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the President of the Commission and competent commissioners, the UN Secretary-General, the NATO Secretary-General, the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, EU security and defence agencies and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in Ukraine, as well as by non-state actors such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, has demonstrated how drone warfare is now a defining feature of both conventional and hybrid conflicts.

The October 2023 terrorist attacks against Israel and their regional repercussions further illustrated the proliferation of low-cost drone technologies in asymmetric theatres, posing a direct challenge to European preparedness and strategic stability.

The intensive use of Iranian drones, in both Ukraine and across the Middle East, further demonstrates the risk that mass proliferation of precision strike capability presents across both state and non-state actors against Member States.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE