What changed

(Simplified procedure – Rule 52(2) of the Rules of Procedure)

P10_TA(2026)0291

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects (Omnibus V)

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects

Committee on Security and Defence, Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

(COM(2025)0821 – C100122/2025 – 2025/0172(COD))

PE781.184

European Parliament legislative resolution of 16 September 2026 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects (COM(2025)0821 – C10-0122/2025 – 2025/0172(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 18 September 2025,

– having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the responsible committees under Rule 75(4) of its Rules of Procedure and the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 17 June 2026 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Recital 1: (1) The Union is facing an acute and growing threat, as underscored in the Joint White Paper on European Defence Readiness 20302, linked to the return of full-scale conflict in Europe in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the associated hybrid activities targeting the Union and its Member States, including sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation, economic coercion and hostile intelligence operations, as well as repeated violations of EU and NATO airspace, and also an evolving transatlantic security posture. Accordingly, the Union must reinforce its strategic autonomy and resilience. In response to this escalating challenge, it is imperative that the Union takes decisive action to bolster its defence readiness and overall societal resilience, while upholding the Union’s values and democratic principles, taking into account the recommendations identified in high-level reports by Mario Draghi, Sauli Niinistö and Enrico Letta. There is urgency to ramp up European defence readiness to ensure that Europe has a strong and sufficient European defence posture by 2030 at the latest. It is particularly important to close the most critical capability shortfalls, in particular those outlined in the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, ensuring that efforts to close such shortfalls are carried out in coherence and mutual reinforcement with activities carried out within NATO, while avoiding unnecessary duplications.

P10_TC1-COD(2025)0172

Recital 1 a (new): (1a) Based on projections of gradual take-up of the instruments proposed under the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, defence investment could reach at least EUR 800bn over the next four years. Such a level of investment also provides an opportunity to develop the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) within the single market, by enabling competitive, innovative and diverse defence technology actors to participate effectively in the EDTIB, while ensuring fair participation in the defence market, including SMEs, and in full compliance with Union and national social, labour, safety and environmental standards. A crucial aspect of this effort is the need to ramp up the Union's defence production capacity, enabling it to respond effectively to emerging security threats. In order to achieve that goal, regulatory simplification and harmonisation are essential in a way that improves efficiency, transparency, and accountability. By streamlining and aligning regulatory frameworks, the Union can create a more conducive environment for defence industries to operate, innovate, and produce the necessary capabilities to ensure European security and defence readiness. At the same time, efforts to promote a coherent approach to standardisation should be encouraged in order to strengthen interoperability and support a more efficient and coordinated development of defence capabilities across the Union.

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 16 September 2026 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2026/… of the European Parliament and of the Council on the acceleration of permit-granting processes for defence readiness projects

Recital 2: (2) In this context, defence readiness should be understood as the ability of Member States to anticipate, prevent, and respond to defence related crises, as referred to in Directive 2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council3 through a proactive and coordinated approach. This includes ensuring the availability of defence industrial capacity required to acquire and maintain the necessary resources, capabilities, and infrastructure with the aim of responding effectively to such crises. Furthermore, defence readiness should also include broader preparedness, strengthening the resilience of society as a whole, to hybrid threats, disinformation campaigns, cyber attacks and other non-military forms of influence. This Regulation should apply solely to projects that contribute to the Union’s and Member States’ defence readiness and abide by the rules governing the internal market to ensure fair competition.

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Recital 3: (3) Setting up or extending facilities, infrastructure and undertaking activities related to defence readiness often requires applying for several relevant permits and approvals. Existing permitting processes for assessments across various areas are often lengthy and cumbersome. Small mid-caps and SMEs in particular are disproportionately affected, which has negative consequences for the entire supply chain. Those procedures currently lack Union-wide provisions for fast-track processes specific to defence readiness activities, which impedes the ramp-up of defence production and related infrastructure in a timely manner and defence readiness activities and investments that are crucial for meeting emerging security demands.

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 114 thereof,

Recital 4: (4) The national permit-granting process ensures that defence readiness projects are carried out safely, securely and in full compliance with relevant environmental, social, labour and other safety requirements throughout all stages of the process. Union environmental law sets common conditions for the content of the national permit-granting process, thereby ensuring a high level of environmental protection. In light of the acute threat posed by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the accompanying hybrid activities directed against the Union and its Member States, it is essential that the application of Union and national rules enables the rapid and efficient implementation of defence readiness projects, while remaining consistent with the Union’s environmental acquis. This approach would enable the sustainable and responsible development of Europe’s defence industrial and raw materials capacities, while avoiding unnecessary administrative delays that could hinder security preparedness.

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Recital 5: (5) The unpredictability, complexity and, often, excessive length of national permit-granting procedures undermine investment security, certainty and planning needed for the effective strengthening of Member States defence readiness and risk discouraging innovative SMEs and small mid-caps from entering into or scaling within the defence sector. The structure and length of a permit-granting process for relevant projects can also differ greatly between Member States. Therefore, to ensure and speed up their effective implementation, Member States should apply streamlined and predictable permit-granting processes to defence readiness projects.

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Recital 5 a (new): (5a) Defence readiness projects, including related industrial and governmental activities can, where applicable, fall within the scope of existing Union provisions allowing derogations, including from Union environmental law, on grounds of “overriding public interest”, “public safety” or “crisis” response. Member States can therefore, where so provided under national law, assess on a case-by-case basis whether permit-granting procedures for defence readiness projects can rely on those existing derogations. Any such assessment should be carried out in accordance with the conditions set out in the relevant Union and national law. Where compensatory or mitigating measures are required in the framework of the permit-granting process, they should ensure that the interests of relevant sectors are safeguarded in a proportionate manner, while preserving all obligations and safeguards laid down in the applicable legal frameworks and with a view to the timely achievement of the Defence Readiness 2030 objective.

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,

Recital 6: (6) While certain Member States have taken or are likely to take measures to accelerate the permission-granting processes for the defence industry, this may be done in diverging ways which would result in barriers to the functioning of the internal market in the defence sector. Divergent national legislation, regarding the planning permit-granting process of defence projects have proven to become bottlenecks for European relevant defence products supply chains. To ensure the functioning of the internal market, it is necessary to establish harmonised rules and timelines for the acceleration of the permit-granting processes.

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,

Recital 7 a (new): (7 a) The application of this Regulation should fully respect the sole responsibility of the Member States for safeguarding their national security. Essential functions, including the defence of the territory, the maintenance of law and order and the protection of public security, remain within national competence and are not affected by this Regulation. Member States can maintain or introduce extraordinary national permitting procedures, provided that such measures do not undermine the functioning of the internal market for defence readiness projects within the scope of this Regulation.

Whereas:

Recital 8: (8) There is a pressing need to reduce the complexity and duration of permitting processes for defence readiness projects, while ensuring that such processes are accessible to mid-caps, small mid-caps and SMEs contributing to the development of new and emerging defence technologies. By establishing national permitting frameworks that prioritise these projects and ensure their rapid processing, the Union aims to enhance its defence production capacity and readiness by 2030 at the latest.

(1) The Union is facing an acute and growing threat, as underscored in the Joint White Paper of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Commission of 19 March 2025 for European Defence Readiness 2030, linked to the return of full-scale conflict in Europe in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other hybrid activities targeting the Union and its Member States. It is, therefore, imperative that the Union take decisive action to bolster its defence readiness and overall societal resilience. There is an urgent need to ramp up European defence readiness and close critical capability gaps to ensure that Europe has a strong and sufficient European defence posture by 2030 as underlined by the European Council.

Recital 8 a (new): (8a) In situations of supply chain crisis, uncertainty can hinder timely decisions and investment planning. Member States are therefore encouraged to publish and periodically update clear, accessible online information on relevant risks and bottlenecks, in line with national security and confidentiality requirements, in order to help companies anticipate and adjust their production, support the efficient allocation of scarce resources to strategically important projects and strengthen the Union’s defence industrial resilience and strategic autonomy.

(2) Setting up or extending facilities and infrastructure and undertaking activities related to defence readiness often require applying for several relevant permits and approvals. Existing permit-granting procedures for assessments across various areas are often lengthy and cumbersome disproportionally affecting small mid-caps and SMEs. Those procedures currently lack Union-wide provisions for accelerated processes specific to defence readiness activities, which impedes the ramp-up of defence production and related infrastructure in a timely manner and defence readiness activities and investments that are crucial for meeting emerging security demands ▌.

Recital 9: (9) In order to address these challenges, the defence industry should benefit of rules proven to be effective in streamlining industrial permitting processes and boosting innovative defence industrial actors. Aiming to reduce permitting deadlines for defence industry activities, including construction of new plants and related infrastructure, expansion of existing facilities, establishment of testing sites, training, certifying, and research and development, including prototype construction and technology transfer, while also building on and broadening existing applicable provisions. A more agile regulatory framework will free up resources for technological innovation, encourage production modularity and promote the establishment of cross-border consortia that can bridge capacity gaps more quickly.

(3) Permit-granting processes of the Member States for defence readiness projects should be streamlined, while ensuring that such projects are safe, secure, and comply with environmental, social, labour and safety requirements throughout all stages of the process. Union environmental law sets common conditions for the content and process of ▌ national permit-granting ▌ , thereby ensuring a high level of environmental protection and allowing for the sustainable and responsible development of Europe’s defence industrial capacities and raw materials value chain, while avoiding unnecessary administrative delays that could hinder defence readiness. This Regulation does not undermine any obligations arising from other relevant Union legislation.

Recital 9 a (new): (9a) To ensure that a streamlined permitting process and prioritisation processes cover the whole defence value chain, the concept of the defence industry should include not only undertakings manufacturing defence-related products within the meaning of Directive 2009/43/EC, but also undertakings providing services that directly enhance the defence readiness of one or more Member States. Furthermore, to address the principal bottlenecks in defence investments, the permit-granting process under this Regulation should cover all relevant permissions, including permits, approvals or licences required to build, expand, convert, operate or repurpose installations, equipment or activities for the manufacturing of defence products or components, or for other activities forming part of a defence readiness project. Bringing all such permissions into a single, coordinated and time-bound procedure, from the acknowledgement of the completeness of an application to the notification of the final decision by the single point of contact, reduces fragmentation, shortens procedural timelines and enhances legal certainty.

(4) Complex and lengthy national permit-granting processes, which diverge from one Member State to another, undermine the investment security, certainty and planning needed for economic operators throughout the Union and for the effective strengthening of Member States defence readiness and risk discouraging innovative SMEs and small mid-caps from entering into or scaling within the defence sector. The structure and length of a permit-granting process for relevant projects can also differ greatly between Member States. Therefore, to ensure and accelerate their effective implementation, Member States should apply streamlined and predictable permit-granting processes to defence readiness projects.

Recital 10 a (new): (10a) Member States should ensure that permitting and assessment procedures required under national law are organised in a coordinated manner that complements those required under Union law, avoiding overlap, duplication and unnecessary administrative delays, while maintaining a high level of environmental protection. Where appropriate, such procedures should be coordinated or combined to provide an efficient, predictable and transparent process for project promoters.

(5) Based on projections of gradual take-up of the instruments proposed under the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, defence investment could reach at least EUR 800 billion over the next four years. Such a level of investment also provides an opportunity to develop the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) within the internal market, by enabling competitive, innovative and diverse actors in the field of defence technology to participate effectively in the EDTIB, while ensuring fair participation in the defence market, including SMEs, and in full compliance with Union and national social, labour, safety and environmental standards. Regulatory simplification and harmonisation in a manner that improves efficiency, transparency and accountability are therefore essential. By streamlining and aligning regulatory frameworks, the Union can create a more conducive environment for defence industries to operate, innovate and produce the necessary capabilities to ensure European security and defence readiness.

Recital 10 b (new): (10b) To safeguard trust in the simplification of administrative processes, accelerated procedures and the internal market, Member States should ensure the impartiality of single points of contact and all competent national authorities involved in the permit-granting process, including through maintaining fair-competition and conflict-of-interest principles, transparency of decision-making, publication of non-confidential statistics on permit decisions. Those measures should ensure non-discriminatory access for SMEs and companies of all sizes across the Union. Member States and the Commission should ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent, detect, and correct any risk of fraud or corruption.

(6) Defence readiness should be understood as the ability of Member States to anticipate, prevent and respond to defence-related crises, as referred to in Directive 2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, ▌ through a proactive and coordinated approach. That approach includes ensuring the availability of defence industrial capacity required to acquire and maintain the necessary resources, capabilities and infrastructure with the aim of responding effectively to such crises.

Recital 10 c (new): (10c) This Regulation clarifies that, when a project is subject to an environmental impact assessment pursuant to Directive 2011/92/EU, the steps (i) and (ii) of the environmental impact assessment timeline should not be included in the duration of the permit-granting process established by this Regulation. This Regulation also requires single points of contact to provide information to project promoters about the requirement to carry out an environmental impact assessment, as well as the scope and level of detail of such assessment.

(7) In light of the obstacles identified, it is appropriate to establish extraordinary measures to accelerate the permit-granting processes for defence readiness projects throughout the Union. Such measures should apply to projects which are identified by Member States as defence readiness projects within the meaning of this Regulation.

Recital 11: (11) To facilitate the efficient and timely processing of administrative permitting applications related to defence readiness activities and the scaling up of defence production, and supporting mid-caps, small mid-caps and SMEs, Member States need to ensure that the competent national authorities implement fast-track procedures. Those authorities should provide the most rapid legal treatment possible for such applications, thereby enabling timely responses to defence readiness needs. The competent authorities have flexibility to prolong the standard fast-track timeline for the reasons of potential risks to health, safety, the environment, and national security. To ensure that these exceptional circumstances are treated in rigorous and transparent manner, it is essential that competent authorities do not merely assert the existence of exceptional circumstances but substantiate such claims with verifiable evidence.

(8) Defence readiness projects, including related industrial and governmental activities, can, where applicable, fall within the scope of existing provisions of Union law, including in the field of Union environmental law, that allow for derogations on grounds of overriding public interest, public safety or in response to a crisis. Member States can use such derogations where appropriate for purposes of defence readiness activities and investments. In this context, compensatory or mitigating measures that might be required in the framework of the permit-granting process are tools aimed at ensuring that the interests of relevant sectors are safeguarded in a proportionate manner, with a view to the timely achievement of the objective of defence readiness by 2030.

Recital 11 a (new): (11a) In addition, in order to further accelerate and streamline the permit issuing process, the principle of tacit approval should apply to the application for a permit except where that principle is in contradiction with the existing national legal system of a Member State. Therefore, an application for a permit should be considered granted if the project promoter has not been informed by the single point of contact within the applicable deadline of the outcome of the permit-granting process.

(9) While certain Member States have taken or are likely to take measures to accelerate their permit-granting processes for the defence industry, this could be done in diverging ways which would result in barriers to the functioning of the internal market in the defence sector. Such divergences have become bottlenecks for European supply chains relevant for defence products. To ensure the functioning of the internal market, it is necessary to establish harmonised rules and timelines for the acceleration of the permit-granting processes.

Recital 11 b (new): (11b) Where a permit for a defence readiness project is implicitly granted, such approval should not exempt the project promoter or the competent authority from full compliance with applicable Union and national law, including provisions on environmental protection and on the health and safety of workers.

(10) While Union institutions can provide guidance and frameworks, the responsibility for authorisation and facilitating accelerated permit-granting processes resides primarily with Member States. Member States are best positioned to implement changes that cater to their specific administrative and regulatory landscapes.

Recital 12: (12) Establishing one or more single points of contact for industry applications regarding permits related to defence activities. is intended to streamline communication, clarify responsibilities, reduce administrative burdens and further expedite the permitting process with clear and legally binding deadlines, thereby providing efficient pathway for defence-related industrial applications. Moreover, it will provide certainty to investors by ensuring the rapid treatment of permit applications and limiting the risks to investments related to lengthy procedures. Member States should provide their single points of contact, as well as any authority involved in the permit-granting process, with sufficient personnel and resources.

(11) There is a pressing need to reduce the complexity and duration of permit-granting processes for defence readiness projects, while ensuring that such processes are accessible to mid-caps, small mid-caps and SMEs contributing to the development of new and emerging defence technologies.

Recital 12 a (new): (12a) In Member States with a federal or otherwise decentralised administrative structure, or where regional or local authorities are required to be involved in the approval process or to adopt the relevant decisions, the functions of the single point of contact may be exercised through a coordinating structure involving regional or local authorities, provided that it is ensured that project promoters have one clearly identified interface for each project, and that that interface is coordinated and streamlined. Member States should make best efforts to ensure that project promoters, in particular SMEs and small mid-caps, can easily identify and access the competent single point of contact for their specific project. Flexibility should be ensured to allow several competent authorities to operate as single points of contact where necessary, provided that clear coordination mechanisms are in place and that project promoters have one clearly identified coordinating authority acting as the sole interface for each project. Such arrangements should avoid duplication or fragmentation of procedures and preserve the efficiency and purpose of the single-point-of-contact system.

(12) In situations of supply chain crisis, uncertainty can hinder timely decisions and investment planning. Member States are encouraged to share relevant information on supply chain risks and bottlenecks through established Union frameworks for defence cooperation, in order to support efficient resource allocation and strengthen the Union's defence readiness, in full compliance with national security and confidentiality requirements.

Recital 14: (14) Furthermore, Member States should provide the necessary administrative support to defence readiness projects located on their territory, to facilitate their timely and effective implementation, paying particular attention to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises which often face higher relative compliance costs and limited administrative capacity. To that end, the single point of contact should include dedicated support functions for SMEs and midcaps, such as helpdesks, harmonised templates and digital tools, offering clear guidance on documentation and compliance requirements and assistance throughout the permit-granting process, so that smaller actors can participate effectively and without disproportionate administrative burden.

(13) In order to address the challenges identified, it is important that economic operators active in the field of defence ▌benefit from rules proven to be effective in streamlining industrial permit-granting processes, reducing deadlines for granting permits for defence industry activities, including for the construction of new plants and related infrastructure, the expansion of existing facilities, the establishment of testing sites, training, certifying and research and development, including the construction of prototypes and transfer of technology, while also building on and broadening existing applicable provisions.

Recital 14 a (new): (14a) To ensure effective, transparent and comparable implementation, the performance of single points of contact should be assessed through common Union-wide indicators and data collected to be submitted by each Member State to the Commission annually.

(14) To ensure that a streamlined permit-granting process covers the whole defence value chain, the concept of defence industry should include not only undertakings manufacturing defence-related products as defined in Directive 2009/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, but also undertakings providing services that directly relate to those products. Furthermore, to address the principal bottlenecks in defence investments, the permit-granting process under this Regulation should cover all relevant permits, including approvals or licences required to build, expand, convert and operate defence readiness projects or to repurpose installations, equipment or activities for the manufacturing of defence products or components, or for other activities forming part of a defence readiness project. Bringing the granting of such permits into a single, coordinated and time-bound procedure, from the confirmation of whether the permit application is complete to the notification of the comprehensive decision by the single point of contact, reduces fragmentation, shortens procedural timelines and enhances legal certainty.

Recital 14 b (new): (14b) Transparency and equal access to information are crucial for the effective implementation of permit-granting processes. Member States should ensure that all project promoters, regardless of their Member State of establishment, have support and equal access to centralised, easily accessible online information. This includes details on single points of contact, permit-granting procedures, dispute resolution mechanisms, financing and investment services, and available Union or national funding instruments.

(15) Complying with Union law, including in relation to waste management and to the protection of water, air, ecosystems, habitats, archaeological sites and biodiversity ▌, is integral to permit-granting procedures, also for the defence sector. Such rules are an essential safeguard to ensure negative impact is prevented or minimised. However, to ensure that permit-granting processes for defence readiness projects are predictable and timely, any potential to streamline the required assessments and authorisations while not lowering the level of, for instance, environmental protection, should be realised. In that regard, it should be ensured that the necessary assessments are bundled to prevent unnecessary overlap.

Recital 14 c (new): (14c) To avoid the proliferation of uncoordinated administrative platforms, Member States should design digital tools supporting this Regulation that are interoperable in order to allow for reusing information already submitted under other Union or national procedures and offer a single, user-friendly digital interface, particularly benefiting SMEs and mid-caps.

(16) Each Member State should, in light of its administrative organisation and defence and national security needs, determine upon receipt of a complete permit application, whether a project located on its territory qualifies as a defence readiness project.

Recital 15: (15) The Commission should, upon request by a Member State offer capacity-building support to the single point of contact, including technical assistance, training, monitoring and evaluation, with the aim of developing and strengthening the abilities, processes and resources that the single points of contacts need to develop for the purposes of this Regulation. Such support may be requested by Member States and will fall within the scope of supporting actions under Regulation (EU) 20XX/XXXX on the European Defence Industry Programme [reference to be added once EDIP is adopted].

(17) Member States should ensure that permit-granting and assessment procedures required under national law are organised in a coordinated manner that complements those required under Union law, avoiding overlap, duplication and unnecessary administrative delays, while maintaining a high level of environmental protection.

Recital 17: (17) In order to provide project promoters and other investors with the security and clarity needed to increase development of defence readiness projects, Member States should ensure that the permit-granting process related to such projects does not exceed set time limits. Completion within those time limits should take the form of a reasoned, written decision, whether granting or refusing the relevant permit, - notified by the single point of contact to the project promoter.

(18) To safeguard trust in the simplification of administrative processes, accelerated procedures and the internal market, it is important that the single points of contact and all competent national authorities involved in the permit-granting process be impartial and uphold the principles of fair competition, transparency of decision-making, publication of non-confidential statistics on permit decisions and non-discrimination including as regards the access for SMEs and companies of all sizes across the Union.

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1: (1) ‘defence readiness project’ means set of activities, investments and measures or measures primarily intended to enhance the defence readiness of a Member State or several Member States jointly, including through the development or modernisation of the defence industry;

(19) To facilitate the efficient and timely processing of permit applications related to defence readiness activities and the scaling up of defence production, Member States should ensure that the competent national authorities implement accelerated procedures. Those authorities should provide the most rapid legal treatment possible for such permit applications, thereby enabling timely responses to defence readiness needs.

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2: (2) ‘defence industry’ means all undertakings engaged in the development, production, and manufacture or supply of defence-related products as defined in Article 3(1) of Directive 2009/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 6 or in the provision of services that enhance the defence readiness of one or several Member States;

(20) Establishing a single point of contact for applications regarding permits related to defence activities is intended to streamline communication, clarify responsibilities, reduce administrative burden and further expedite the permit-granting process with clear and legally binding deadlines, thereby providing an efficient pathway for defence-related applications. Moreover, it will provide certainty to investors by ensuring the rapid treatment of permit applications and limiting the risks to investments related to lengthy procedures ▌.

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3: (3) ‘defence readiness’ means the state of preparedness of a Member State or several Member States to anticipate, prevent or respond to a crisis as defined in Article 1, point (10) of Directive 2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 7 , which relates to defence;

(21) Member States should be able, when necessary to reflect their decentralised administrative organisation, to choose whether to establish or designate their single points of contact at local, regional or national level, or at any other relevant administrative level. Member States should ensure that effective coordination mechanisms are established and that that single point of contact acts as the sole interface for each project. Moreover, the relevant competent authorities should specify and make available to the single point of contact the requirements and extent of information requested of a project promoter before the permit-granting process commences. The single point of contact should be responsible for communicating that information to the project promoter. Project promoters should be able to interact prior to and during the permit-granting process with a single point of contact responsible for facilitating and coordinating the entire permit-granting process. It should be for Member States to decide by virtue of national law whether a single point of contact can act as a competent authority and issue comprehensive decisions. To ensure the effective implementation of their responsibilities, Member States should provide their single points of contact, as well as any authority involved in the permit-granting process, with sufficient personnel and resources.

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6: (6) permit-granting process’ means a process that covers all relevant permissions permits, including permits, approvals or licences necessary to build, expand, convert and operate or repurpose any installation, equipment or activity for manufacturing defence products or components or for other activities forming part of a defence readiness project together with all administrative steps from acknowledgement of application completeness to notification of the final decision by the single point of contact;

(22) To accelerate reaching full operational capacity of the single points of contact, it is important that Member States, to the extent possible, take advantage of possible complementarity with existing single points of contact, for example those established under Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 of the European Parliament and of the Council or Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Article 2 – title: Single points of contact

(23) Member States should provide the necessary administrative support to defence readiness projects located on their territory, to facilitate their timely and effective implementation. It is important to guarantee that project promoters are treated in a same way irrespectively of the Member State of their establishment. Additionally, it is important to pay particular attention to the needs of SMEs and mid-caps, which often face higher compliance costs and limited administrative capacity. To that end, the single point of contact should provide tailored guidance and early advisory services to SMEs, mid-caps and small mid-cap enterprises. Such support can include helpdesks, harmonised templates and digital tools, offering clear guidance on documentation and compliance requirements and assistance throughout the permit-granting process, so that smaller actors can participate effectively and without disproportionate administrative burden.

Article 2 – paragraph 1: 1. By …[3 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation], each Member State shall establish or designate one authority as single point of contact at the relevant administrative level. The single point of contact shall operate as a single interface for each defence readiness project.

(24) Single points of contact should collect, process and report relevant information in a consistent and timely manner. For the purposes of transparency, ex-post monitoring and Union-wide comparability, and to promote consistent and efficient implementation of this Regulation, Member States should submit to the Commission, on an annual basis, a statistical report on the application of this Regulation setting out the total number of permit applications granted, including those granted tacitly, pursuant to the procedures established by this Regulation. To assess whether the procedures established by this Regulation effectively contribute to its objectives, the Commission should periodically evaluate the implementation of this Regulation, in particular as regards the timelines of the permit-granting processes, participation of SMEs in defence readiness projects and the tacit approval mechanism.

Article 2 – paragraph 2: 2. The single point of contact shall be responsible for facilitating and coordinating the permit-granting process for defence readiness projects and for providing information on streamlining the administrative processes in accordance with Article 3, including information to the project promoter on when an application is considered to be completed in accordance with Article 5(6). At the request of the project promoter, the single point of contact shall also provide information whether the project could be considered a defence readiness project under this Regulation, as well as information on the required documentation to be submitted as part of the final application.

(25) Transparency and equal access to information are crucial for the effective implementation of permit-granting processes. All project promoters, regardless of their Member State of establishment, should have access to centralised, easily accessible online information, to the extent that such publication is without prejudice to national security and with due regard to confidentiality requirements. That information should include details on single points of contact, permit-granting processes, dispute resolution mechanisms, financing and investment services and available Union or national funding instruments.

Article 2 – paragraph 4: 4.(26) ProjectMember promotersStates shallshould beensure alloweddigital andexchange enabledbetween tothe submitproject anypromoter, documentsthe relevantsingle topoint theof permit-grantingcontact processand incompetent electronicauthorities, formincluding via a secure,an interoperable portal.portal Memberwhere Statesavailable, shallin ensureorder to facilitate the digitalelectronic exchangesubmission of documentationdocuments betweenand, where possible, the nationalreuse authority,of theinformation singlealready pointsubmitted ofunder contactother andUnion theor projectnational promoters.procedures.

Article 2 – paragraph 4 a (new): 4a. Where an interoperable online portal is not available at the moment of application of this Article, the single point of contact shall provide for an alternative submission channel without delaying the time limits under Article 5 and shall notify the Commission of a time-bound plan that should not exceed 6 months to achieve full e-processing capability. That alternative submission channel shall be one-stop physical or postal. Capacity-building for implementing this paragraph may be supported under Regulation (EU) 20XX/XXXX on the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) where applicable.

(27) The Commission should, upon request by a Member State, offer capacity-building support to the single point of contact, including technical assistance, training, monitoring and evaluation, with the aim of developing and strengthening the abilities, processes and resources that the single points of contacts need to develop for the purposes of this Regulation. The Commission should make its best efforts to accord priority treatment to such requests. Such support ▌ falls within the scope of supporting actions under Regulation (EU) 2025/2643 of the European Parliament and of the Council. ▌

Article 2 – paragraph 5: 5. The competent authorities shall ensure that any relevant studies carried out, or permits or authorisations issued, for a given project are taken into account and that no duplicate studies, permits or authorisations are required, unless otherwise required under Union or national law. The single point of contact shall ensure the coordination among the competent authorities and those authorities shall have access to all relevant documents to facilitate the fast-track procedure.

(28) In order to ensure clarity about the permit status of defence readiness projects and to limit the impact of potential abusive litigation, while not undermining effective judicial review, ▌ any dispute concerning the permit-granting process should be resolved in a timely manner. To that end, ▌ defence readiness projects should be treated as urgent in all administrative, judicial and dispute resolution procedures relating to such projects to the extent that national law provides for urgency procedures.

Article 2 – paragraph 6: 6. Member States shall ensure that the single point of contact and all competent authorities responsible for any step along the permit-granting processes, including all procedural steps, have enough qualified staff and sufficient financial, technical and digital resources necessary, including, where appropriate, for up- skilling and re-skilling, for the effective performance of their tasks under this Regulation.

(29) In order to provide project promoters and other investors with the security and clarity needed to increase development of defence readiness projects, Member States should ensure that the permit-granting process related to such projects does not exceed set time limits. This Regulation sets the standard time limit of 42 working days for the permit-granting process and provides for flexibility to extend that time limit in certain cases. In order to avoid unjustified delays, the possibility of extending that time limit should be limited to the exceptional circumstances set out in this Regulation. Any extension of the permit‑granting process should be based on clearly identified and duly substantiated reasons. The single point of contact should provide a substantiated explanation demonstrating that exceptional circumstances exist and that additional time is necessary to complete the outstanding assessments. The reasons for the extension and the expected date of the comprehensive decision should be communicated in writing to the project promoter in a timely and transparent manner.

Article 2 – paragraph 7: 7. The authorities involved in the permit-granting process and other authorities concerned shall specify and make available to the single point of contact concerned, the requirements and all information requested of a project promoter before the permit-granting process commences. Single points of contact shall also make available relevant and necessary documents of the project promoter to the authorities, where necessary in the permit-granting process.

(30) The permit-granting process should start when the single point of contact notifies the project promoter that the permit application received is complete and end when the single point of contact notifies the project promoter of the comprehensive decision.

Article 2 – paragraph 8: 8. Upon request by a Member State, the Commission shall assist the authorities of that Member State with capacity building in support of implementation of this Regulation, notably in establishing or operating a single point of contact. The Commission shall treat that request as a priority and commence implementation without undue delay in cooperation with the requesting Member State. Such assistance may include targeted technical and financial support, such as through Regulation (EU) 20XX/XXXX on the European Defence Industry Programme and cohesion policy instruments, to help Member States with limited administrative capacity.

(31) Where an environmental impact assessment report or other assessments are required by Union or national law as part of a permit-granting process, a permit application should only be considered to be complete for the purposes of this Regulation where the environmental impact assessment report or other assessments have been provided by the project promoter. Where relevant, the competent national authorities should carry out their assessment obligations, including those pursuant to Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, in particular Article 1(2), point (g)(iii), (iv) and (v) thereof, or any other assessments required under Union or national law, before the end of the permit-granting process. Moreover, the combined assessment referred to in this Regulation should be carried out in a manner that does not lead to a prolongation of the time limits set out in this Regulation.

Article 2 – paragraph 8 a (new): 8a. In Member States with a federal or otherwise decentralised administrative structure, the obligation to establish a single point of contact shall be understood as ensuring a coordinated and streamlined interface for each defence readiness project. Member States may designate more than one competent authority as single point of contact, where this is necessary to reflect their administrative organisation, provided that effective coordination mechanisms are established and that project promoters have one clearly identified coordinating authority acting as the sole interface for each project.

(32) Where on expiry of the time limits provided for under this Regulation, the project promoter has not been informed of the outcome of the permit-granting process, the permits concerned should be deemed to have been granted and the project promoter should be deemed to have been authorised to implement the defence readiness project. The single point of contact should inform the project promoter within eight working days of the tacit approval and, where relevant, specify the conditions and requirements to which those permits are subject, in accordance with applicable Union or national law. Such tacit approval is without prejudice to Member States’ obligations to perform case-by-case examinations, assessment procedures or public consultations, which are to be carried out pursuant to Union or national law. Member States should be able to derogate from the general rule by allowing competent authorities not to apply the tacit approval to a specific permit application where the competent authority can demonstrate on the basis of duly substantiated and verifiable evidence that the specific project raises a grave risk to human health, or national security. Risks to human health could also include risks arising from environmental effects. Any derogation should be limited to what is strictly necessary to address the identified risk.

Article 2 – paragraph 8 b (new): 8b. Where a defence readiness project is cross-border within the EU, prompt notification and coordination by the single point of contact with the single points of contact of other Member States concerned shall be ensured. Member States shall ensure that single points of contact have protocols for the timely exchange and referral of information in such cases, without prejudice to national security and confidentiality rules

(33) This Regulation is without prejudice to the obligations deriving from international law, where relevant.

Article 2 – paragraph 8 c (new): 8c. The Commission, in cooperation with Member States, shall ensure the development of common indicators and methodologies to assess the performance of the single points of contact, based on the data reported annually pursuant to Article 8a. Member States shall ensure that the single points of contact collect, process and transmit relevant information in a consistent and timely manner, to contribute to the transparent and comparable monitoring of the implementation of this Regulation across the Union.

(34) Since the objective of this Regulation, namely to provide for streamlined and accelerated permit-granting processes of the Member States for defence readiness projects, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States as diverging legislation to accelerate the permit-granting processes for the defence industry would result in barriers to the functioning of the internal market in the defence sector but can rather, by reason of the necessity to have harmonised Union-wide provisions, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.

Article 3 – paragraph 1 – introductory part: Member States shall provide public access to the following information on permit-granting processes relevant to defence readiness projects, online and in a centralised and easily accessible manner, to the extent that such publication is without prejudice to national security and with due regard to confidentiality requirements:

(35) This Regulation is without prejudice to the Member States’ responsibility for safeguarding national security and the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States. National security remains the sole responsibility of each Member State,

Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d: (d) funding possibilities at Union and Member State level;

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new): (ea) guidelines and templates provided by the Member States for standardised permit applications where available;

Article 1 Subject matter

Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e b (new): (eb) applicable environmental, health and safety laws.

This Regulation establishes common rules for the acceleration of permit-granting processes for defence readiness projects.

Article 4 – paragraph 1 – introductory part: Member States shall provide administrative support for defence readiness projects located on their territory to all project promoters, regardless of the Member States in which they are established, paying particular attention to SMEs and mid-caps, including small mid-cap enterprises, involved in those projects, including by providing:

Article 2 Definitions

Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a: (a) assistance regarding compliance with applicable administrative and reporting obligations, including with Union and national health, environmental, safety, social and labour laws;

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new): (ca) coordination and assistance to project promoters of defence readiness projects with cross-border dimension and coordination for core defence production assets;

(1) ‘defence readiness project’ means a set of activities, investments and measures aimed at enhancing the defence readiness of one Member State or of more Member States jointly, including through the development or modernisation of the defence industry ▌;

Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new): (cb) SME support mechanisms within the single point of contact, which include a dedicated SME desk providing tailored guidance and early advisory services to SMEs, mid-caps, and small mid-cap enterprises.

(2) ‘defence industry’ means all undertakings engaged in the research, development, production, manufacture or supply of defence-related products as defined in Article 3, point (1), of Directive 2009/43/EC or in the provision of services directly related to those products for any and all elements of their life cycle;

Article 5 – paragraph 1: 1. The permit-granting process for defence readiness projects, including notification of the outcome of that process, shall not exceed 50 working days from the date of the acknowledgement of the completeness of the permit-granting application by the single point of contact.

(3) ‘defence readiness’ means the state of preparedness of a Member State or several Member States to anticipate, prevent or respond to a crisis as defined in Article 1, point (10), of Directive 2009/81/EC, which relates to defence;

Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new): 1a. Where a defence readiness project involves a modification or extension of an existing facility already authorised under national law, the competent authority shall determine whether the modification requires a new or updated permit, or whether it may proceed under the existing authorisation, provided that environmental, health and safety standards are not affected.

(4) ‘middle capitalisation company’ or ‘mid-cap’ means middle capitalisation company as defined in Article 2, point (15), of Regulation (EU) 2021/697 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

Article 5 – paragraph 2: 2. In exceptional cases, and without prejudice to the ability of the competent authorities to fully and comprehensively assess compliance with Union or national law, where a defence readiness project requires the construction of several facilities or requires several phases, whether located on a single site or across multiple sites, the project promoter and the single point of contact may, where justified by the project’s technical or administrative characteristics, agree to process those components as separate sub-projects for the purposes of complying with the applicable time limits.

(5) ‘small mid-cap enterprise’ or ‘small mid-cap’ means a small mid-cap enterprise as defined in the Annex to Commission Recommendation (EU) 2025/1099;

Article 5 – paragraph 3: 3. In exceptional cases, where the nature, location or size of the proposed defence readiness project so requires, a Member State may once extend the time limits referred to in paragraph 1 by a maximum of 25 working days before their expiry and on a case-by-case basis.

(6) ‘small and medium-sized enterprise’ or ‘SME’ means small and medium-sized enterprise as defined in Article 2 of the Annex to Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC;

Article 5 – paragraph 4: 4. Where a Member State considers that there is evidence that the defence readiness project is of exceptional complexity, raises exceptional risks for the health and safety of workers or of the general population, raises an exceptional risk on the environment, or where a specific national security clearance is required, and where additional time is necessary to establish that measures to address identifiable risks have been put in place, it may extend the time limits referred to in paragraph 1 by 50 working days, within 25 working days of the start of the permit-granting process.

(7) ‘permit-granting process’ means a process that covers all relevant permits, including approvals or licences, necessary to build, expand, convert and operate defence readiness projects or to repurpose any installation, equipment or activity into a defence readiness project and all the necessary administrative steps from the confirmation that the permit application is complete to the notification of the comprehensive decision on the outcome of the process by the single point of contact concerned;

Article 5 – paragraph 6: 6. No later than 12 working days from the receipt of the permit-granting application, the single point of contact concerned shall acknowledge that the application is complete and whether this Regulation applies or, if the project promoter has not sent all the information required to process the application, request the project promoter to submit a complete application without undue delay, specifying which information is missing. If the submitted application is deemed to be incomplete for a second time, the single point of contact may, within 12 working days of the second submission, make a second request for information. The single point of contact shall not request information in areas not covered in the first request for information and shall be entitled only to request further evidence to complete the identified missing information.

(8) ‘project promoter’ means any undertaking or consortium of undertakings developing a defence readiness project;

Article 5 – paragraph 6 a (new): 6a. The applicable time limit for the permit-granting process shall commence on the date of the acknowledgment of the completeness of the permit-granting application. Where an environmental impact assessment is required, the application shall be considered completed when the steps (i) and (ii) of the environmental impact assessment, according to the Directive 2011/92/EU, Article 1() points (g)(i) and (g)(ii), including the public consultation, if applicable, have been formally submitted and acknowledged as such in accordance with paragraph 6 of this Article.

(9) ‘comprehensive decision’ means the decision taken by competent authorities that determines whether a project promoter is authorised to implement a defence readiness project, without prejudice to any decision taken in the context of an appeal procedure.

Article 5 – paragraph 8: 8. Where the single point of contact does not inform the project promoter of the outcome of the permit-granting process within the time limit set out in paragraph 1 and extended, where applicable, in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4, the permits covered by the application shall be deemed to be granted, unless the principle of administrative tacit approval has been excluded for these types of procedures by the national legal system of the Member state concerned. The single point of contact shall within 10 days, without undue delay but not later than within 3 working days provide written confirmation to the project promoter, in writing or electronically indicating that the permits have been implicitly granted based on the application submitted.

Article 3 Designation of a defence readiness project

Article 6 – paragraph 1: 1. National, regional and local authorities responsible for preparing plans, including zoning, spatial plans and land use plans, shall include in such plans, where appropriate, provisions for the development of defence readiness activities, projects and their required infrastructure, and shall also take into account security considerations, including protection against cyber and hybrid threats targeting critical defence infrastructure. To facilitate the development of defence readiness projects, Member States shall ensure that non-confidential relevant spatial planning data is available online in accordance with Article 3 as well as with applicable Union and national law.

Member States shall determine which projects qualify as a defence readiness project under this Regulation.

Article 6 – paragraph 2 a (new): 2a. Where a defence-readiness project is not covered by the plans referred to in paragraph 1, any environmental assessments required under Union or national law, including, where applicable, project-level assessments, shall be completed and taken into account prior to the final decision on the permit.

Article 4 Single point of contact

Article 7 – paragraph 1: All dispute resolution procedures, litigation, appeals and judicial remedies as well as all administrative proceedings related to defence readiness projects before any national courts, tribunals, bodies or panels, including with regard to mediation or arbitration, where they exist in national law, shall be treated as urgent if and to the extent to which national law concerning relevant permit-granting processes provides for such urgency procedures and provided that the applicable rights of defence of individuals or of local communities are respected. Project promoters of defence readiness projects shall participate in such urgency procedures, where applicable. The competent authorities shall guarantee that accelerated judicial and administrative procedures do not undermine the right to an effective remedy.

1. By …[3 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation], each Member State shall establish or designate one authority as single point of contact at the relevant administrative level. The single point of contact shall be the sole point of contact for a defence readiness project.

Article 8 a (new): Article 8a / Monitoring and reporting / 1. For the purposes of transparency, ex-post monitoring and Union-wide comparability, each Member State shall submit to the Commission, annually, a statistical report on the application of this Regulation, including: / (a) the total number of received applications for permits for defence readiness projects; / (b) the total number of fast-track procedure permits granted; / (c) the total number of fast-track procedure permits granted tacitly, pursuant to Article 5(8); / (d) the number of SMEs benefiting from fast-track procedures; / (f) specific measures adopted to support SMEs and mid-caps; / 2. The Commission shall make the aggregated results publicly available and, where appropriate, issue guidance to promote the consistent application of this Regulation across Member States. / 3. The Commission is empowered to adopt implementing acts to specify the template for the submission of above-mentioned information. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. / 4. The single point of contact shall ensure digital traceability of all applications and decisions, guaranteeing transparency and preventing fraud. The data collected through all applications and decisions shall contribute to Union-level monitoring. / 5. The Commission shall evaluate the practices of the Members States regarding tacit approvals. In the case of a disproportionately high number…

2. Where necessary to reflect its decentralised administrative organisation, a Member State may establish or designate more than one single point of contact pursuant to paragraph 1. That Member State shall ensure that effective coordination mechanisms are established and that they provide tools to help project promoters identify the appropriate single point of contact for a defence readiness project and that that single point of contact acts as the sole interface for that project.

3. The single point of contact shall be responsible for facilitating and coordinating the permit-granting process and for providing information on streamlining the administrative processes in accordance with Article 5, including information to the project promoter on when an application is considered to be completed in accordance with Article 7(1). At the request of the project promoter, prior to the permit application, the single point of contact shall also provide information on the permit-granting process, including the documentation to be submitted as part of the application and the requirements under which a project could be considered a defence readiness project under this Regulation. The provision of such information shall not prejudge the decision of the competent authorities to determine whether a project qualifies as a defence readiness project.

4. As the sole point of contact for the project promoter in the permit-granting process for a defence readiness project, the single point of contact shall coordinate and facilitate the submission of all relevant documents and information and shall notify the project promoter of the comprehensive decision. Where so provided for by Member States, the single point of contact may also act as a competent authority and issue comprehensive decisions.

5. Project promoters shall be allowed to submit any documents relevant to the permit-granting process in electronic form. Member States shall ensure the digital exchange, including via an interoperable portal where available, of documentation between the competent authority, the single point of contact and the project promoters.

6. The competent authorities, coordinated by the single point of contact, shall ensure that any relevant studies carried out, or permits or authorisations issued, for a given project and for project promoters are taken into account and that no duplicate studies, permits or authorisations are required, unless otherwise required under Union or national law.

7. Member States shall ensure that the single point of contact and all competent authorities responsible for any step in the permit-granting processes, including all procedural steps, have sufficient qualified staff and sufficient financial, technical and digital resources ▌ , including, where appropriate, for up- skilling and re-skilling, for the effective performance of their tasks under this Regulation.

8. The competent authorities involved in the permit-granting process and other authorities concerned shall specify and make available to the single point of contact concerned, the requirements and all information requested of a project promoter before the permit-granting process commences.

9. Upon request by a Member State, the Commission shall assist the authorities of that Member State with capacity building in support of implementation of this Regulation, in particular with technical assistance in establishing or operating a single point of contact and an interoperable portal. The Commission shall make best efforts to treat such requests as priority.

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10. Where a defence readiness project is cross-border within the Union, the Member States concerned shall ensure coordination and the timely exchange of information, without prejudice to national security and confidentiality requirements.

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Article 5 Online accessibility of information

Member States shall provide public access to the following information on permit-granting processes relevant to defence readiness projects, online and in a centralised and easily accessible manner, to the extent that such publication is without prejudice to national security and with due regard to confidentiality requirements:

(a) the single points of contact referred to in Article 4(1);

(b) the permit-granting process, including information on dispute settlement concerning the permit-granting process and, where applicable, on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, if such procedures are provided for by national law;

(c) financing and investment services for defence readiness projects;

(d) funding possibilities at Union and Member State level for defence readiness projects;

(e) business support services, including but not limited to support services for corporate tax declaration, local tax laws or, where relevant and in accordance with national practices, labour law, for defence readiness projects;

(f) guidelines and templates provided for standardised permit applications where available.

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Article 6 Accelerating implementation

Member States shall provide administrative support for defence readiness projects located on their territory, paying particular attention to SMEs and mid-caps, including small mid-cap enterprises, involved in those projects, by providing, inter alia:

(a) assistance regarding compliance with applicable administrative and reporting obligations, including under Union and national health, environmental, safety, social and labour law, where relevant;

(b) assistance to project promoters in informing the public about the project;

(c) assistance to project promoters throughout the permit-granting process ▌ ;

(d) coordination and assistance to project promoters of defence readiness projects with cross-border dimension.

Article 7 Completeness check of the permit application

1. No later than 14 working days from receiving the permit application, the single point of contact shall inform the applicant whether this Regulation applies and confirm whether the permit application received is complete.

2. If during the period referred to in paragraph 1 it is determined that information is missing from the permit application, the single point of contact shall request the project promoter to submit the missing information, specifying which information is missing.

If the submitted permit application is deemed to be incomplete for a second time, the single point of contact may, within 10 working days of the second submission, make a second and final request for information. The single point of contact shall not request information in areas not covered in the first request for information and shall be entitled only to request further evidence to complete the identified missing information. If the submitted permit application is deemed incomplete for a third time, the process shall be considered terminated for the purposes of this Regulation.

3. Where an environmental impact assessment report or other assessments are required as part of the permit application, a permit application shall be considered to be complete for the purposes of this Regulation only once the part of those assessments falling under the responsibility of the project promoter have been carried out and included in the permit application.

4. The date on which the single point of contact notifies the project promoter that it has received a complete permit application shall serve as the start of the permit-granting process.

Article 8 Duration of the permit-granting process

1. The permit-granting process, including the granting of the relevant permit, shall not exceed 42 working days from the date on which the single point of contact notifies the project promoter that it has received a complete permit application in accordance with Article 7(1) and (4).

2. The single point of contact shall, in close cooperation with the competent authorities, draw up a schedule for the permit-granting process and share that schedule with the project promoter, at the start of the permit-granting process.

3. Where a defence readiness project involves a modification or extension of an existing facility already authorised under national law, the competent authority shall determine whether the modification requires a new or updated permit, or whether it may proceed under the existing authorisation, provided that environmental, health and safety standards are not affected.

4. Where a defence readiness project requires the construction of several facilities or units, whether located on a single site or across multiple sites, the project promoter may, in agreement with the single point of contact, split the project into ▌ smaller projects for the purpose of complying with the applicable time limits. For such split projects, the start date of the permit-granting process for all projects remains the date on which the single point of contact notifies the project promoter that it has received a complete permit application in accordance with Article 7 (1) and (4).

5. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, and on a case-by-case basis, the competent authority may extend the time limit referred to in paragraph 1 twice, up to a maximum of 60 working days, where:

(a) the exceptional ▌ nature, complexity, location, or size of the ▌ project so requires; or

(b) the defence readiness project raises exceptional risks to the health and safety of workers or the general population, or an exceptional environmental risk, and additional time is necessary to adequately assess those risks.

In the cases referred to in the first subparagraph, the total duration of the permit-granting process shall not exceed 102 working days.

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6. Any extension of the time limit referred to in paragraph 1 shall be notified in writing by the single point of contact to the project promoter within reasonable time before the expiry of that time limit. That notification shall include the substantiated explanation of the reasons for the extension and ▌ the expected date of the comprehensive decision ▌ .

▌

7. The time limits set out in this Article for any of the permit-granting processes shall be without prejudice to any shorter time limits established by Member States.

8. Where the single point of contact does not inform the project promoter of the outcome of the permit-granting process within the time limit set out in paragraph 1 or, where applicable, the extended time limit, in accordance with paragraph 5 ▌ , the permits covered by the application shall be deemed to be granted. ▌

9. Where permits are deemed to be granted pursuant to paragraph 8, the single point of contact shall within eight working days from the expiry of the time limits set out pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 5, inform the project promoter thereof and, where relevant, specify the conditions and requirements to which those permits are subject, in accordance with applicable Union or national law. Member States shall ensure that permits deemed to be granted pursuant to paragraph 8 may be challenged by affected parties.

10. By way of derogation from paragraph 8, Member States may, in national law adopted by… [12 months after the entry into force of this Regulation], provide that tacit approval in accordance with paragraph 8 shall not apply in strictly limited and exceptional cases. A decision not to apply tacit approval shall be made only following a case‑by‑case assessment, where the competent authority demonstrates, on the basis of duly substantiated and verifiable evidence, that the specific project raises a grave risk to human health or national security.

Any derogation shall be limited to what is strictly necessary to address the identified risk. Member States shall notify the Commission of the adoption of such national law without undue delay, and at the latest one month before it becomes applicable. Any decision not to apply tacit approval to an individual permit application shall be without prejudice to the time limits set out in paragraphs 1 and 5 and shall be adopted and notified to the project promoter before the expiry of the time limits set out therein. It shall include a detailed, evidence‑based justification demonstrating compliance with the conditions set out in this paragraph.

Article 9 Planning

1. National, regional and local authorities responsible for preparing plans, including zoning, spatial plans and land use plans, shall include in such plans, where appropriate, provisions for the development of defence readiness projects and ▌ necessary infrastructure. To facilitate the development of defence readiness projects, Member States shall ensure that non-confidential relevant spatial planning data are available online in accordance with Article 5 as well as with applicable Union and national law.

2. Where plans include provisions for the development of defence readiness projects, and their required infrastructure, and are subject to an assessment pursuant to Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and pursuant to Article 6 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC, those assessments shall be combined. Where applicable, the combined assessment shall also address the impact on potentially affected water bodies referred to in Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Where relevant Member States are required to assess the impact of existing and future activities on the marine environment, including land-sea interactions, as referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, that impact shall also be covered in the combined assessment. The fact that assessments are combined pursuant to this paragraph shall not affect their content or quality. The combined assessment shall be carried out in a manner that does not lead to a prolongation of the time limits set out in this Regulation.

Article 10 Priority status of defence readiness projects

All dispute resolution procedures, litigation, appeals and judicial remedies as well as all administrative proceedings related to defence readiness projects before any national courts, tribunals, bodies or panels, including with regard to mediation or arbitration, where they exist in national law, shall be treated as urgent if and to the extent to which national law concerning relevant permit-granting processes provides for urgency procedures, provided that the applicable rights of defence and the right to an effective remedy of individuals or of local communities are respected. Project promoters shall participate in such urgency procedures, where applicable.

Article 11 Applicability of UNECE Conventions

This Regulation is without prejudice, where relevant, to the obligations under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, signed at Aarhus on 25 June 1998, and under the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, signed at Espoo on 25 February 1991 and its Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment, signed in Kyiv on 21 May 2003.

Article 12 Monitoring and reporting

1. Each Member State shall submit to the Commission, annually, a statistical report on the application of this Regulation, including the total number of permit applications granted, including those granted tacitly, pursuant to the procedures established by this Regulation.

2. Member States shall inform the Commission about specific measures adopted to encourage and facilitate the participation of SMEs in defence readiness projects in accordance with Article 6.

3. The Commission shall, in cooperation with Member States, assess the performance of the single points of contact, based on the data reported pursuant to paragraph 1. The Commission shall make the aggregated results referred to in paragraph 1 publicly available online, without prejudice to the protection of sensitive information relevant to national security and confidentiality requirements.

Article 13 Review and evaluation

1. By 31 December 2028 and every four years thereafter, the Commission shall carry out an evaluation of the implementation of this Regulation. The Commission shall present a report on the main findings of the evaluation to the European Parliament and the Council. The evaluation shall include, at least, an assessment of:

(a) whether the procedures established by this Regulation effectively contribute to the objectives of this Regulation, in particular as regards the timeline of the permit-granting process and the participation of SMEs in defence readiness projects;

(b) the application of the tacit approval mechanism across Member States and its contribution to the objectives of this Regulation.

2. Member States may provide to the Commission any information that the Commission may require to draw up the report referred to in paragraph 1, without prejudice to the protection of sensitive information relevant to national security and confidentiality requirements. Where the Commission considers it appropriate, the report shall be accompanied by a legislative proposal.

Article 14 Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply only to permit applications for defence readiness projects submitted from … [3 months after the entry into force of this Regulation].

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at …,

For the European Parliament For the Council

The President The President