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~~MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION~~

PA_NonLeg

~~on flagship European defence projects of common interest~~

AMENDMENTS

~~(2025/2144(INI))~~

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection submits the following to the Committee on Security and Defence, as the committee responsible :

~~The European Parliament,~~

Amendment 1

~~– having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), in particular Articles 42(2) and 42(3),~~

Motion for a resolution

Citation 2

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Articles 2, 107(3)(b) and 346,

– having regard to Article 2(e) of Protocol No 10 on permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) established by Article 42(6) TEU and the joint notification on PESCO signed by ministers of 23 EU Member States on 13 November 2017,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Articles 2, 107(3)(b), 114 and 346 thereof,

~~– having regard to the Versailles Declaration adopted at the informal meeting of heads of state or government on 11 March 2022, in particular paragraph 22 thereof,~~

Amendment 2

– having regard to the ‘Strategic Compass for Security and Defence – For a European Union that protects its citizens, values and interests and contributes to international peace and security’, which was approved by the Council on 21 March 2022 and endorsed by the European Council on 25 March 2022,

Motion for a resolution

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 18 May 2022 on the Defence Investment Gaps Analysis and Way Forward (JOIN(2022)0024),

Citation 13

– 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(2024)0010),

Motion for a resolution

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 5 March 2024 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Defence Industry Programme and a framework of measures to ensure the timely availability and supply of defence products (‘EDIP’) (COM(2024)0150), in particular Article 15 thereof regarding European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCI),

Amendment

– having regard to the joint white paper 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’ (JOIN(2025)0120),

~~– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/697 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing the European Defence Fund (EDF)1,~~

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 19 March 2025 for a Council regulation establishing the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) through the reinforcement of the European defence industry Instrument (COM(2025)0122),

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 22 April 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/1153, (EU) 2023/1525 and 2024/795, as regards incentivising defence-related investments in the EU budget to implement the ReArm Europe Plan (COM(2025)0188),

– having regard to the scoping paper of the Commission of 29 September 2025 entitled ‘Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030’,

– having regard to the ~~report~~joint ofcommunication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy ~~to the Council~~ of 1116 ~~April~~October ~~2025~~2025, entitled ~~‘Annual progress report on the Implementation of~~‘Preserving ~~the~~Peace ~~Strategic~~– ~~Compass~~Defence ~~for~~Readiness ~~Security~~Roadmap ~~and~~2030’ ~~Defence’,~~(JOIN(2025)0027),

~~– having regard to the conclusions of the European Council of 22 and 23 June 2017, particularly those of paragraph 8 on PESCO, and of 6 March 2025, particularly those of paragraph 3(f),~~

Amendment 3

~~– having regard to the national security strategies of the EU Member States,~~

Motion for a resolution

– having regard to special report 04/2025 of the European Court of Auditors of 3 October 2024, entitled ‘Opinion 02/2024 concerning the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Defence Industry Programme and a framework of measures to ensure the timely availability and supply of defence products (EDIP)’, and in particular paragraph 42 thereof,

Citation 19 a (new)

– having regard to the 2024 annual report by the European Defence Agency (EDA), as well as its report of 14 November 2023 entitled ‘The 2023 EU Capability Development Priorities’, and the 2024 report entitled ‘Coordinated Annual Review on Defence’,

Motion for a resolution

~~– having regard to the progress report of the PESCO Secretariat of September 2025 on PESCO projects,~~

Amendment

– having regard to the report by ~~Mario~~Enrico ~~Draghi~~Letta of 917 ~~September~~April 2024 onentitled ~~the~~‘Much ~~future~~more ofthan ~~European~~a ~~competitiveness~~market’ ~~and~~and, ~~Chapter~~in 4particular, ~~thereof~~the onchapter ~~increasing~~‘A ~~security~~single ~~and~~market ~~reducing~~to ~~dependencies,~~play big: scale matters’ thereof,

– having regard to the report by Sauli Niinistö of 30 October 2024 entitled ‘Safer Together: Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness’, and in particular Chapter 7 thereof,

Amendment 4

~~– having regard to The Hague Summit Declaration issued by NATO heads of state and government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in The Hague on 25 June 2025,~~

Motion for a resolution

~~– having regard to the tenth progress report of 10 June 2025 on the implementation of the common set of proposals endorsed by EU and NATO Councils on 6 December 2016 and 5 December 2018,~~

Citation 23 a (new)

~~– having regard to the cooperative equipment programmes managed by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR),~~

Motion for a resolution

~~– having regard to its resolution of 12 March 2025 on the white paper on the future of European defence2, and in particular its paragraphs 4 and 58,~~

Amendment

~~– having regard to its resolution of 2 April 2025 on the implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 20243, and in particular its paragraph 46,~~

– having regard to the Joint Declaration on EU-NATO Cooperation of 10 January 2023,

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 16 October 2025 entitled ‘Preserving Peace - Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030’ (JOIN(2025)0027),

Amendment 5

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

Motion for a resolution

~~– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection,~~

Recital A

~~– having regard to the report of the Committee on Security and Defence (A10-0000/2025),~~

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

A. whereas the challenges posed by the decline in global peace and security and the emergence of new and evolving threats to EU security require the EU and its Member States to significantly increase their defence investment in order to develop military and intelligence capabilities that enable them to defend their sovereignty and to act and respond autonomously or in partnership with their allies, particularly within NATO, to immediate and future threats;

A. whereas the challenges posed by the decline in global peace and security and the emergence of new and evolving threats to EU security, in particular since the start of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, require the EU and its Member States to accelerate and significantly increase their collaborative security and defence investment in order to develop military and intelligence capabilities that enable them to ramp up the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity, and deter, act and respond in real time autonomously or in partnership with their allies, particularly within NATO, to immediate and future security threats;

Amendment 6

Motion for a resolution

Recital B

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

C. whereas in its joint communication of 5 March 2024 entitled ‘A new European Defence Industrial Strategy’ the Commission highlights that only 18 % of total equipment spending by EU Member States was devoted to EU collaborative defence equipment procurement in 2022, far below the current 35 % collective benchmark set by Member States at the EDA Ministerial Steering Board in 2007; whereas the end users of defence products are primarily the national armed forces of Member States and the latter can therefore only consider increasing their investments in defence industrial projects if these projects concern the development of military capabilities of common interest to their armed forces;

B. whereas warfare, historically dominated by conventional weapons, appears to be evolving ‘from steel to web’; whereas it is increasingly incorporating cyber capabilities and networked operations, and warfare strategies are being transformed through new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) and are no longer limited to massed firepower and large-scale confrontations, but moving towards miniaturisation and decentralisation of systems, as evidenced by the use of drone swarms, AI-enabled weapons, smart mines, and portable missile systems in battlefields; whereas fighter jets, ships, battle tanks and armoured vehicles are becoming more vulnerable to precision strikes and therefore require greater protection, as they are still essential to military operations; whereas the current pace of technical evolution requires enhanced focus on innovation; whereas collaborative projects in the field of frontier technologies could help to pull resources and know-how together and boost innovation; whereas developing joint innovative partnerships on frontier technologies would substantially strengthen the EDTIB;

Amendment 7

Motion for a resolution

Recital B a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

B a. whereas violations by Russian drones of the airspace of EU Member States are becoming increasingly frequent, raising serious safety and security concerns; whereas these violations underline the need for a coordinated, united, and proportionate EU response and the need to strengthen the single market for defence, in order to protect citizens and critical infrastructure;

Amendment 8

Motion for a resolution

Recital C a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

C a. whereas fragmentation of national defence procurement rules, regulatory barriers and limited cross-border competition continue to hinder market integration and weaken the development of a well-functioning EU defence equipment market, which is a key enabler for the establishment and development of a single market for defence; whereas coordinated efforts to reduce fragmentation, improve interoperability and promote cross-industrial cooperation and joint procurement, including through European Defence Projects of Common Interest, are essential to constructing a true single market for defence and strengthening the competitiveness of the EDTIB; whereas the development of a single market for defence and the reinforcement of the EDTIB are key stepping stones towards strengthening the Union’s deterrence, resilience and strategic autonomy and towards a genuine European Defence Union;

Amendment 9

Motion for a resolution

Recital C b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

C b. whereas enhanced cooperation and the effective leveraging of economies of scale in European defence spending could generate annual savings estimated at between EUR 18 billion and EUR 57 billion1a and reinforce the competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy of the EU and its Member States, advancing progress towards a genuine European Defence Union;

_________________

1a European Parliament: Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, ‘Improving the quality of European defence spending – Cost of non-Europe report’, 2024.

Amendment 10

Motion for a resolution

Recital D

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

D. whereas the Strategic Compass on Security and Defence sets the objective of developing incentives to stimulate Member States’ collaborative investments in joint projects and the joint procurement of defence capabilities that are developed in a collaborative way within the EU; whereas collaborative projects help to reduce costs and prevent Member States from competing for scarce industrial resources;

Amendment 11

Motion for a resolution

Recital E

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

E. whereas the proposed regulation establishing the EDIP provides for the implementation of European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCI); whereas EDPCI consist of collaborative industrial projects aimed at reinforcing the competitiveness and defence industrial readiness of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) throughout the Union, while contributing to the development of Member States’ military capabilities critical for the security and defence interests of the Union, and including those securing access to all operational domains, namely land, maritime, air, space and cyber; whereas some of the most critical capability gaps are of an inherently cross-border nature and require coordinated industrial responses at EU level; whereas such projects should generate mutual benefits across Member States by fostering cross-border cooperation and positive spillover effects within the internal market, thereby strengthening cohesion within the EDTIB;

Amendment 12

Motion for a resolution

Recital E a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

E a. whereas flagship projects are an important opportunity to foster innovation, interoperability and competitiveness in the European defence industry, representing an important step towards strengthening the EDTIB; whereas developing such projects requires additional measures ensuring the creation of a fully functional single market for defence products, which would tackle the most important barriers within the EU;

Amendment 13

Motion for a resolution

Recital E b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

E b. whereas, as underscored in the Preserving Peace – Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, Ukraine remains Europe’s first line of defence and is an integral part of Europe’s defence and security architecture; whereas the EU and its Member States should continue their support for and intensify cooperation with Ukraine; whereas integrating Ukraine’s defence technological and industrial base into the EDPCIs and flagship projects will be a key factor in the successful development of a single market for defence;

Amendment 14

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

1. Acknowledges the significant increase in defence expenditure among EU Member States as a clear reflection of their determination to respond to the deteriorating security environment, by enhancing military capabilities, strengthening deterrence, and reinforcing their collective commitment to European and transatlantic defence; acknowledges also that strengthening Europe’s security and defence requires not merely an increase in national defence spending but a comprehensive shift towards greater coordination, efficiency and integration in the way that Member States develop, resource and implement their defence policies;

1. Acknowledges the significant increase in defence expenditure among EU Member States as a response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine; stresses the importance of this clear reflection of their determination to respond to the deteriorating security environment, after decades of underinvestment in European defence, by enhancing military capabilities, strengthening deterrence, and reinforcing their collective commitment to European and transatlantic defence; acknowledges also that strengthening Europe’s security and defence requires not merely an increase in national defence spending but a comprehensive shift towards greater coordination, efficiency and integration in the way that Member States develop, resource and implement their defence policies; underlines that without the development of a true single market for defence and the strengthening of European defence cooperation, rising national defence spending risks being absorbed by inefficiencies, leading to further fragmentation in the EU; stresses that, in this regard, EDPCIs can contribute to fostering a shift from a predominantly national approach to security towards a shared understanding of collective European security, thereby reinforcing solidarity, trust and strategic cohesion among Member States to prevent fragmentation in the EU, which is necessary; highlights that the development of such collaborative projects is an essential step towards enhancing collaborative defence spending, achieving economies of scale, avoiding duplications, ensuring efficient application of resources, aggregating demand, strengthening the EDTIB, creating a true single market for defence products and services, and paving the way for the development of a genuine European Defence Union;

Amendment 15

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

2. Notes that, despite increased defence efforts, the EU and its Member States continue to face persistent shortfalls in strategic collective capabilities, command and control structures, and sustainable military capacity; underlines that these gaps significantly limit the EU and its Member States’ ability to sustain a prolonged large-scale defence engagement, particularly in the face of acts of hybrid warfare; calls for urgent measures to address these critical capability shortfalls through enhanced cooperation, coordinated planning, and targeted investments to ensure defence readiness;

2. Notes that, despite increased defence efforts, the EU and its Member States continue to face persistent shortfalls in strategic collective capabilities, command and control structures, and sustainable military capacity; underlines that these gaps significantly limit the EU and all Member States’ ability to sustain a prolonged large-scale defence engagement, particularly in the face of acts of hybrid warfare; calls for urgent measures to address these critical capability shortfalls through enhanced cooperation, coordinated planning, and targeted investments to ensure defence readiness;

Amendment 16

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

2 a. Stresses that the European single defence market has the potential to become a powerful engine of growth and innovation, given the size of the EU market, its capacity to create quality jobs and the positive spillover effects on the wider economy; underlines that the development of flagship EDPCIs represents a strong opportunity to strengthen the competitiveness of European companies, in particular by facilitating procurement market access for SMEs and mid-caps operating on all levels of the supply chain, and to strengthen the efficiency and innovation capacity of the EDTIB; stresses the need to enhance European equipment procurement through a focus on domestic suppliers;

Amendment 17

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

2 b. Stresses the importance of close cooperation with the Ukrainian defence industry and its gradual integration into the EDTIB; urges the Member States and their defence industries to invest in and partner with their Ukrainian counterparts in order to maximise the potential of their production capabilities to produce critical equipment in the most efficient manner, including through participation in flagship projects; stresses that this will benefit the single market for defence and strengthen European defence cooperation; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Member States to deploy Russia’s immobilised sovereign assets to support Ukraine and the strengthening of its defence technological and industrial base;

Amendment 18

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 3

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

3. Stresses that filling capability gaps requires developing autonomous Strategic Enablers without which Member States’ armed forces cannot effectively conduct joint military operations; recommends in this regard, the development of a safe and secure common architecture for command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, as well as common defence capabilities in the areas of space, strategic airlift, air-to-air refuelling and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risk prevention; praises the work of the EDA, which provides an overview and analysis of the EU defence landscape and offers recommendations on opportunities for collaboration on capability development and acquisition through the Capability Development Priorities (CDP) and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD); calls on the Commission and the Member States to further cooperate with the EDA and to make full use of the CARD reports, as they provide an overview of the defence landscape in the EU and identify opportunities for collaboration within the single market; calls on the Member States to consistently share up-to-date data with the Commission and the EDA in order to systematically identify critical capability gaps and propose effective collaborative actions; calls on the Commission and the Member States to remove, as a matter of priority, the existing single market barriers hampering, in particular, the ability to address these urgent capability gaps;

Amendment 19

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

~~Developing defence capabilities through flagship projects in priority areas~~

4. Recognises that there are immediate defence needs that can be met with supplies or support from non-EU countries; further emphasises that European security remains heavily dependent on the defence industry of non-EU countries; stresses that, in the current geopolitical context and given the requirement for the EU to assume greater responsibility for defence, there is a need for a managed and gradual transition from dependency on non-EU countries to strategic autonomy and strengthening the EDTIB; welcomes the shift, underscored in the proposed EDIP regulation, towards increased spending on EU capabilities and the strengthening of its strategic autonomy, which in turn strengthens the global competitiveness of the EDTIB within a well-functioning single market; underlines, however, the need to establish the conditions necessary for the development of the defence industry across the entire EU market;

Amendment 20

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4 a. Recalls that lack of standardisation remains a key obstacle to European defence readiness; calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote greater interoperability with NATO and ensure that products developed under flagship projects are in line with relevant NATO standardisation agreements (STANAGs);

Amendment 21

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

5. Acknowledges the endorsement by the European Council of the Roadmap Defence Readiness 2030 – Preserving Peace and the Member States’ commitment to developing four initial European Readiness Flagships – the European Drone Defence Initiative, the Eastern Flank Watch, the Air Defence Shield and the Defence Space Shield; notes that these proposed flagship projects cover a very wide range of defence capabilities; urges the Commission, the Member States and the EDA to therefore clearly identify the specific objectives and timeline for the implementation, technological scope and expected size of each of these projects;

5. Acknowledges the endorsement by the European Council of the Preserving Peace – Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 and the Member States’ commitment to developing four initial European Readiness Flagships – the European Drone Defence Initiative, the Eastern Flank Watch, the Air Defence Shield and the Defence Space Shield; calls on the Commission, in close cooperation with the Member States and the EDA, to present without delay proposals for implementing the first European Defence Flagship Projects, in line with the timelines and priorities set out in the joint communication; notes that these proposed flagship projects cover a very wide range of defence capabilities; urges the Commission, the Member States and the EDA to therefore clearly identify the specific objectives and timeline for the implementation, technological scope and expected size of each of these projects; underlines that removing existing barriers hindering the single market for defence products is essential for the timely completion of these key projects, as underlined in the Commission proposal to streamline and simplify rules concerning intra-EU transfers of defence products and defence public procurement rules (COM(2025)0823); stresses that the European Drone Defence Initiative should be closely linked with the proposed Drone Alliance with Ukraine, and that EU counter-drone systems should draw on the operational experience and lessons learnt from Ukraine; underlines the importance of the development of the Eastern Flank Watch initiative, as a flagship project, in order to strengthen the protection and resilience of the EU;

Amendment 22

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

6. Recognises the need to establish a widely agreed upon definition of ‘flagship projects’ as large-scale, pan-European collaborative initiatives in defence capability and industrial development, including Strategic Enablers within a common framework such as EDIP that allow their identification and implementation in a coherent manner within EU defence and industrial policies; underlines that defining flagship projects is crucial to ensuring effective collaboration among Member States, pooling resources to address critical capability gaps and moving towards a genuine European Defence Union;

~~Identifying and ensuring the proper set-up and implementation of flagship projects~~

6. Recognises the need to establish a widely agreed upon definition of ‘flagship projects’ as large-scale, pan-European collaborative initiatives in defence capability, defence digital infrastructure and industrial development, including Strategic Enablers within a common framework such as EDIP that allow their identification and implementation in a coherent manner within EU defence and industrial policies; underlines that defining flagship projects is crucial to ensuring effective collaboration among Member States, pooling resources to address critical capability gaps and moving towards a genuine European Defence Union; emphasises that flagship projects and the EDPCIs, as defined under the EDIP, should be fully aligned and consistent with one another, in order to ensure the optimal use of these new projects, provide predictability and clarity for industry, and strengthen political prioritisation at Union level; believes that flagship projects should involve entities from as many Member States as possible, including at least four Member States, and be open to the full participation of Ukraine; underlines that flagship projects could also be open, under certain conditions and with full respect for the security and defence interests of the EU and its Member States, to non-EU countries with which the Union has signed security and defence partnerships, provided that EU Member States keep full operating control of these projects;

Amendment 23

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

6 a. Stresses that EDPCIs constitute a key instrument for addressing critical capability gaps and shortages that cannot be filled at national level alone; underlines that developing such capabilities collectively at Union level can generate significant economies of scale, reduce duplication and ensure that public funds and taxpayers’ money are used in the most efficient and responsible manner; emphasises that, given the considerable funding needs required to achieve the Union’s defence readiness targets by 2030, resources should be strategically directed towards projects that maximise European added value and contribute to the development of common deterrence;

Amendment 24

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

7. Stresses that the objectives of flagship projects must be aligned with those of agreed EU defence objectives; emphasises, too, that they should address innovative technological areas for defence and contribute to the development of cutting-edge defence capabilities that respond to the requirements of modern warfare, including the rising need to network military operations, troops and weapons, ensure cyber defence, develop intelligence data collection, storage, processing, sharing and decision support tools, operate deep and precise strikes and counter drone attacks;

7. Stresses that the objectives of flagship projects must be aligned with those of agreed EU defence objectives; emphasises, too, that they should address filling the current critical capability gaps, as well as innovative technological areas for defence and should contribute to the development of commonly owned equipment, with common development and maintenance of capabilities; believes that these projects should focus on cutting-edge defence capabilities that respond to the requirements of modern warfare, including the rising need to network military operations, troops and weapons, ensure cyber defence, develop intelligence data collection, storage, processing, sharing and decision support tools, operate deep and precise strikes and counter drone attacks; underlines that these objectives should focus on improved interoperability and enhancing standardisation of defence products;

Amendment 25

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

8. Emphasises that flagship projects should aim to foster closer cooperation and innovation in governance mechanisms at EU level, showing best practices towards a common and coordinated strategy for European defence; stresses, too, that good governance of flagship projects must be based on a shared vision and effective coordination among their ‘programmatic actors’, namely the governments, military headquarters and public procurement agencies of EU Member States and defence industrial companies; considers that flagship projects could benefit from and build on existing cooperation within the framework of PESCO and EDF projects; considers that flagship projects can help create or revitalise regional defence industry clusters by strengthening local industrial capacities, promoting technology transfer, synergies and industrial scaling, and reinforcing critical supply chains while extending benefits across Member States;

Amendment 26

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9. Acknowledges the creation of the EDPCI as a new tool under the EDIP; recognises that flagship projects could be developed under its framework;

9. Welcomes the creation of the EDPCI as a new tool under the EDIP; underlines that flagship projects could be developed under its framework, thereby increasing the consistency of EU defence policy; stresses that, beyond their development and production phases, flagship projects should also ensure the establishment of common frameworks for their operation, maintenance and life-cycle management at EU level; notes that the EDIP framework provides a minimum threshold for participating entities of four Member States or associated countries such as Ukraine; stresses that such projects should enable broad participation, foster innovation and interoperability; invites the Commission to explore and propose mechanisms that would allow eligible states that did not participate in the initial production phase to join such projects at the operational and maintenance stage;

Amendment 27

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

10. Calls for the inclusion of the widest range of industrial actors in flagship projects, including mid-caps and small and medium-sized enterprises, to enable the spread of innovation across the entire spectrum of the EDTIB and to allow them to scale up; calls, furthermore, for the participation of other relevant stakeholders in such projects, such as research organisations, academic institutions, innovation hubs and technology centres, as well as testing and certification bodies, in order to foster stronger synergies between research, innovation and industrial development within the European defence ecosystem; calls, furthermore, for the establishment of a high-level European defence industry group to ensure effective cooperation and closer dialogue and engagement with industry; stresses the need to ensure a fair geographical balance in the distribution of industrial benefits and participation, in order to build a fully functioning single market for defence where entities from all Member States can contribute and benefit from these initiatives;

Amendment 28

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

~~Governance of flagship projects and the role of Parliament~~

11. Stresses the need to prevent military technologies, in particular sensitive emerging technologies and critical dual-use items, especially in the area of space, quantum technologies and AI, from being transferred to destinations of concern outside the EU or to third countries that contravene the security and defence interests of the Union and its Member States or that do not respect the principle of good neighbourly relations, to the detriment of the single market; underscores the need to not source components from non-associated third countries that contravene the security and defence interests of the Union and its Member States; stresses that flagship projects should also contribute to reducing the Union’s dependencies on external providers outside the EU in critical areas, thereby strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy; urges Member States participating in flagship projects to commit to following common approaches, to developing production capabilities within the internal market and to defining and agreeing on a common strategy for granting export licenses for products resulting from flagship projects;

Amendment 29

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11 a. Recalls that the AI Act1a excludes from its scope AI systems that are exclusively used for military, defence or national security purposes; stresses that the use of AI in warfare raises ethical concerns such as accountability, compliance with international humanitarian law and the risk of conflict escalation due to reduced human oversight; suggests, therefore, defining ethical guidelines for defence AI;

_________________

1a Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act) (OJ L, 2024/1689, 12.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj).

Amendment 30

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11 b. Considers that flagship projects could represent the cornerstone of European defence cooperation; calls for the establishment of a strong and transparent governance and coordination structure for such flagship projects to overcome current fragmentation and guarantee their development and operationalisation; believes that, in line with Treaty provisions, such a structure should involve the Commission, the Member States, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EDA, and the European Parliament, among others;

Amendment 31

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11 c. Believes that, considering their importance in the present and to the future of European defence, flagship projects should have a high threshold for the number of participating Member States so as to strengthen intra-EU technological and industrial defence cooperation; believes, therefore, that flagship projects should involve entities from as many Member States as possible, including at least four Member States, and be open to the full participation of Ukraine; underlines that flagship projects could also be open, under certain conditions and with full respect for the security and defence interests of the EU and its Member States, to non-EU countries with which the Union has signed security and defence partnerships, provided that EU Member States keep full operating control of these projects;

Amendment 32

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to further present proposals for flagship projects addressing the development of defence capabilities and allowing Member States to better align their national efforts with agreed EU defence objectives;

12. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, together with the EDA, to further develop and present proposals for flagship projects addressing the development of defence capabilities and allowing Member States to better align their national efforts with agreed EU defence objectives;

Amendment 33

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

13. Recommends that the Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the EDA participate in a supporting role to facilitate the implementation of flagship projects;

13. Recommends that the Vice-President of the Commission / the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the EDA participate in a supporting role to facilitate the definition, identification, selection and implementation of flagship projects;

Amendment 34

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

13 a. Stresses that Ukraine is a key part of Europe’s defence architecture and readiness effort; believes, therefore, that developing defence and industrial cooperation with Ukraine and other non-EU countries with which the Union has signed security and defence partnerships is important;

Amendment 35

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

14. Commits to exercising its scrutiny and legislative and budgetary role in relation to the selection, implementation and financing of flagship projects on the basis of regular and comprehensive information and reports from the Commission;

~~Ensuring the financing of flagship projects in the long term~~

14. Underscores that Parliament’s key role is to guarantee democratic control and oversight of flagship projects; commits to exercising its scrutiny and legislative and budgetary role in relation to the selection, implementation and financing of flagship projects on the basis of regular and comprehensive information and reports, including annual reports, from the Commission;

Amendment 36

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

15. Calls on the Commission to explore ways of establishing a specific fund under the next multiannual financial framework to ensure the long-term financing of flagship projects; underlines the need for adequate and appropriate funding for flagship projects that does not compromise the funds allocated to other strategic areas of the EU budget devoted to defence;

15. Calls on the Commission to explore ways of establishing increased and more targeted funding under the next multiannual financial framework, such as within the proposed European Competitiveness Fund, to ensure the long-term financing of flagship projects; underlines the need for adequate and appropriate funding for flagship projects without compromising the funds allocated to other strategic areas of the EU budget, including those already devoted to defence; invites the Commission to consider whether EU funding could also support the operation, maintenance and life-cycle management of capabilities developed under EDPCIs, in order to maximise their efficiency, interoperability and European added value;

Amendment 37

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16. Shares the European Court of Auditors’ observation regarding the EDIP proposal that the time needed to complete flagship projects is likely to exceed the two-year implementation period provided for by the EDIP; stresses, therefore, that for flagship projects to benefit from EDIP funding, the Member States concerned must commit to co-financing them for their entire duration, well beyond an initial two-year period; calls on the Commission and the Member States to explore possibilities for continuing the financing of projects started under the EDIP within the next multiannual financial framework;

Amendment 38

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17. Invites EU Member States to consider systematically earmarking part of their national defence budgets for the development of partnership initiatives and the procurement of defence equipment produced within the framework of flagship projects;

17. Invites EU Member States to strengthen cooperation and systematically earmark part of their national defence budgets for the development of partnership initiatives and the procurement of defence equipment produced within the framework of flagship projects; encourages the Member States, before the entry into force of the next multiannual financial framework, to use part of their allocation under the already approved Security Action for Europe financial instrument to develop flagship projects;

~~° °~~

18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, NATO, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the EU security and defence agencies and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

~~EXPLANATORY STATEMENT~~

~~A new defence for a long-lasting peace.~~

The nineteenth century was an age forged in Steel. Its emergence transformed the world, laying the foundation for an era of unprecedented industrial power and disruptive warfare. By the time of World War I, Steel had become not merely a material but the backbone of modern conflicts: a force that shaped structural design, logistics, defence, and military strategy alike. This revolutionary material fed and sustained an unprecedented industrial revolution and a new weapon systems: cannons, munitions, naval fleets, armoured vehicles and aircraft, helmets, infrastructures. Merging the new industrial framework and a large-scale production of materials required to support the needs of the front.

Today, warfare dominated by big powerful instruments, the conventional weapons of the 19th Century, appears to be evolving “from Steel to Web”. The new technologies are transforming strategies, the cyber domain and artificial intelligence, no longer limited to massive firepower and large-scale confrontations, moving towards miniaturization and decentralization of systems, as drone prove, AI-enabled weapons, smart mines, and portable missile systems in battlefields. Even the role of human power is changing: there is less and less employment of direct human involvement and presence in the frontline. Conflicts today present a total new landscape and totally new threats.

The challenges posed by the emergence of new and evolving threats to EU security require today the EU and its Member States to deal with a new defence framework to defend their collective sovereignty, act and respond autonomously or in partnership with their allies, particularly within NATO, to immediate and future threats.

~~Change~~

After three decades marked by a trend toward disarmament across the EU, the changes to the global and regional security environment and new threats to the security of the European continent, have made it necessary for EU Member States to increase their efforts to acquire more military capabilities for their defence. At the NATO Summit on 25 June 2025 in the Hague, 23 EU and NATO member states committed to invest 5% of their Gross Domestic Product annually on core defence requirements as well as defence-and security-related spending by 2035.

~~Choice~~

~~The expected surge in total military spending by the EU and its Member States should translate into several hundred billion of investment in new defence equipment, over the next years.~~

Until now, the development and procurement of defence equipment in the framework of European cooperation, remains rather the exception. Furthermore, the Commission has indicated that 78% of the defence acquisitions by EU Member States between the start of Russia’s war of aggression in February 2022 and June 2023 were made from outside the EU, with the US alone representing 63% of it.

~~Building a decision architecture~~

Against this backdrop, the EU has explored over the years new directions and launched new initiatives to strengthen and develop defence capabilities in a collective and cooperative manner. As part of EU effort to help EU Member States to work together for developing new capabilities, the concept of projects of common interest for European defence has been a long-standing feature of policy-making.

The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) mechanism, launched in 2017, has fostered several tens projects of joint development. Furthermore, the Strategic Compass on Security and Defence adopted in March 2022 calls for the collaborative development of next-generation capabilities in all operational domains. With the Versailles Declaration, EU Member States also committed in March 2022 to fostering industrial initiatives, including through important projects of common European interest and industrial alliances. In the political guidelines for the next European Commission 2024−2029 "Europe's choice", the President of the Commission listed the tasks to pool resources to counter biggest common and cross-border threats through flagship European Defence Union projects. The White Paper for Defence Readiness 2030 released by the Commission in March 2025 specified areas for which Member States should urgently pool their efforts, including a set of such projects, to be defined by Member States, that would benefit from EU incentives. The Commission's proposal of March 2024 for a regulation establishing the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) provides the first regulatory framework for these projects. In its special report on this proposal, the European Court of Auditors drew the attention to the need to secure long-term financial support as a prerequisite for their selection. Lastly, in its scoping paper of 29 September 2025 on Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, the Commission proposes to launch a set of four initial European Readiness Flagships.

Flagship projects of common interest for European defence need strategic guidance and recommendations on their selection, implementation, financing and oversight, with the aim of maximizing their impact, while ensuring cohesion between Member States. They should be large-scale, pan-European, collaborative initiatives in defence capabilities and industrial development.

Filling capability gaps requires developing autonomous Strategic Enablers to facilitate Member States' armed forces in effectively conducting joint military operations, in order to achieve a safe and secure common architecture for command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance, as well as common deterrence to ensure the maximum defence for a long-lasting peace for states and their citizens.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur for opinion declares that ~~she~~he included in ~~her~~his ~~report~~opinion input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that ~~she~~he received, in the preparation of the draft ~~report,~~opinion , prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register1, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register

~~The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.~~

European Defence Agency

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

Permanent Representation of Italy to the European Union

Leonardo S.p.A. - 02550382403-01

FINCANTIERI SpA - 095079912436-63

European Commission - Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS)

2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies

N/A

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur for opinion.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for opinion declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted

4.12.2025

Result of final vote

+ : 30

- : 5

0 : 6

Members present for the final vote

Pablo Arias Echeverría, Jeannette Baljeu, Laura Ballarín Cereza, Katarina Barley, Arno Bausemer, Anna Cavazzini, Stefano Cavedagna, Henrik Dahl, Adnan Dibrani, Regina Doherty, Klara Dostalova, Michał Dworczyk, Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Hanna Gedin, Elisabeth Grossmann, Maria Guzenina, Svenja Hahn, Pierre Jouvet, Arba Kokalari, Nikola Minchev, Piotr Müller, Gheorghe Piperea, Christel Schaldemose, Andreas Schwab, Tomislav Sokol, Kim Van Sparrentak, Marion Walsmann

Substitutes present for the final vote

José Cepeda, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Salvatore De Meo, François Kalfon, Idoia Mendia, Aura Salla, Paulius Saudargas, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Susana Solís Pérez, Ivaylo Valchev, Mariateresa Vivaldini

Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote

Valérie Deloge, Niels Geuking, Milan Mazurek

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

PPE

Arias Echeverría Pablo, Dahl Henrik, De Meo Salvatore, Doherty Regina, Gasiuk-Pihowicz Kamila, Geuking Niels, Kokalari Arba, Salla Aura, Saudargas Paulius, Schwab Andreas, Sokol Tomislav, Solís Pérez Susana, Walsmann Marion

Renew

Baljeu Jeannette, Cifrová Ostrihonová Veronika, Hahn Svenja, Minchev Nikola

S&D

Ballarín Cereza Laura, Barley Katarina, Cepeda José, Dibrani Adnan, Grossmann Elisabeth, Guzenina Maria, Jouvet Pierre, Kalfon François, Mendia Idoia, Schaldemose Christel, Scheuring-Wielgus Joanna

Verts/ALE

Cavazzini Anna, Van Sparrentak Kim

ESN

Bausemer Arno, Mazurek Milan

PfE

Deloge Valérie, Dostalova Klara

The Left

Gedin Hanna

ECR

Cavedagna Stefano, Dworczyk Michal, Müller Piotr, Piperea Gheorghe, Valchev Ivaylo, Vivaldini Mariateresa

Key:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstentions