On European Defence Readiness 2030: assessment of needs

on European Defence Readiness 2030: assessment of needs

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AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Budgets submits the following to the Committee on Security and Defence, as the committee responsible:

Amendment 1

Motion for a resolution

Citation 11 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

– having regard to the European Parliament report of 8 July 2025 on the Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 20241a,

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1a Texts adopted, P10_TA(2025)0145.

Amendment 2

Motion for a resolution

Recital A a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Aa. whereas there is an urgent need to increase European defence-related investments, in particular to enhance Europe’s resilience and security by supporting the development and deployment of dual-use technologies and capabilities that strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure against hybrid threats, cyberattacks and other risks to societal and economic stability, through the Union budget, while also complementing and stimulating the increasing defence spending by the Member States;

Amendment 3

Motion for a resolution

Recital B

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

B. whereas the Commission estimates that Member States will need to invest an additional EUR 800 billion in defence by 2030 under the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, involving an annual increase of 10% in spending to reach around EUR 575 billion in 2030, or 3.15% of combined GDP; whereas, in its proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, the Commission allocates EUR 131 billion to defence and space, five times more than in the previous period;

B. whereas European defence capabilities suffer from decades of under-investment and whereas the Commission estimates that Member States will need to invest an additional EUR 800 billion in defence by 2030 under the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, involving an annual increase of 10 % in spending to reach around EUR 575 billion in 2030, or 3.15 % of combined GDP;

Amendment 4

Motion for a resolution

Recital B a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Ba. whereas, in its proposal for the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2028-2034, the Commission allocates EUR 115.7 billion1a to defence and space under the European Competitiveness Fund, five times more than in the previous period, as well as EUR 15.7 billion1b for military mobility under the Connecting Europe Facility, a tenfold increase compared to the previous period aiming at supporting the development of transport infrastructure that can be used for both civilian and military purposes;

1a in 2025 constant prices.

1b in 2025 constant prices.

Amendment 5

Motion for a resolution

Recital B b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Bb. whereas EU citizens rightly expect more from the Union and its budget, including the capacity to respond quickly and effectively to evolving threats and to provide the necessary support to bolster defence capabilities, especially in times of crisis; whereas the next MFF should support a comprehensive security approach and appropriately fund measures that strengthen defence readiness and resilience; whereas this is especially relevant in Member States with external borders and especially in those with a land border with Russia and/or Belarus as well as at other directly exposed frontiers; whereas continued support to Ukraine remains a primary pillar of the Union’s security posture;

Amendment 6

Motion for a resolution

Recital I

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

I. whereas the EIB mobilised nearly EUR 1 billion in 2024 to support short-term loans to SMEs and is aiming to mobilise EUR 2 billion in 2025; whereas it has already allocated EUR 13 billion to defence since 2017 and plans to allocate an additional EUR 6 billion by 2027, while expanding its activities to include dual-use projects and developing new financial instruments;

I. whereas the EIB mobilised nearly EUR 1 billion in 2024 to support short-term loans to SMEs and is aiming to mobilise EUR 2 billion in 2025; whereas it has already allocated EUR 13 billion to defence since 2017 and plans to allocate an additional EUR 6 billion by 2027, while expanding its activities to include dual-use projects and developing new financial instruments; whereas improving access to EIB instruments for SMEs and mid-caps in the defence and security ecosystem is key to ensuring inclusive and innovative growth across the Union;

Amendment 7

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

1. Expresses concern that, despite the objectives of the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, by the end of July 2025 only 10 out of 27 Member States had announced a clear target to increase their defence spending to at least 3% of GDP by 2030; encourages each Member State to publish a detailed strategic vision for its military expenditure until 2030, including its capability targets;

1. Expresses concern that, despite the objectives of the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, by the end of July 2025 only 10 out of 27 Member States had announced a clear target to increase their defence spending to at least 3 % of GDP by 2030; underlines that by analogy NATO targets also contribute to European security; encourages each Member State to publish a detailed strategic vision for its military expenditure until 2030, including its capability targets;

Amendment 8

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

2. Welcomes the proposals set out in the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan to offer Member States greater budgetary flexibility, in particular the loan facility under the EUR 150 billion ‘Security Action for Europe’ instrument; regrets, however, that the Commission has based this instrument on Article 122 TFEU, thereby ruling out consultation with Parliament, which prevents monitoring and control of the funds and risks exacerbating disparities between Member States; calls on the Commission to refrain from applying this article to other components of the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, as well as to other issues related to defence financing;

2. Welcomes the objectives of the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, including increasing defence funding, fostering joint procurement, stimulating private investment and establishing a truly European defence market to achieve strategic autonomy, while offering Member States greater budgetary flexibility; regrets, however, that the financing identified by the Commission under ReArm Europe consists mostly of national expenditure and therefore does not contribute optimally to cooperation among Member States, synergies or economies of scale, and therefore does not provide European added-value nor an increase of the effectiveness of public spending as would have been the case for a programme funded through the EU budget; strongly condemns the fact that the legislative act establishing the loan facility under the EUR 150 billion ‘Security Action for Europe’ (SAFE) instrument is based on Article 122 TFEU without proper justification, thereby undermining Parliament’s legislative and scrutiny functions and putting at risk democratic legitimacy; calls on the Commission to refrain from applying this article to other components of the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, as well as to any future proposal related to defence financing; firmly criticises the fact that procurements carried out by one Member State are eligible for support under SAFE, where the contract is signed no later than 30 May 2026, since that fails to incentivise common procurement and market defragmentation, ultimately risking exacerbating disparities between Member States; calls on the Member States to ensure that the use of Union funds and defence instruments such as SAFE is consistent with shared strategic objectives; stresses that access to EU financial instruments in the field of security and defence should be in line with common defence policy frameworks and principles, following clear conditions safeguarding policy coherence and compliance with Union rules, including rule of law conditionality; stresses that financing should be based on facilitated access to private capital, national contributions, existing budgetary margins, or alternative mechanisms while ensuring the protection of the EU budget and EU financial interests;

Amendment 9

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 3 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

3a. Notes that Europe’s defence ecosystem remains fragmented across industrial, financial and governance dimensions, undermining competitiveness, demand aggregation and efficient resource use; stresses that achieving a genuine internal market for defence requires regulatory streamlining, pooled procurement, and coordinated innovation under a coherent framework; stresses that the EU budget remains the most effective instrument to improve integrated planning, stable long-term financing and effective implementation in the area of defence, thereby overcoming the fragmentation of and the limitations on both Europe’s industrial resilience and strategic autonomy; emphasises that defence investment must go hand in hand with other policy priorities;

Amendment 10

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 2

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

Adapting the Union’s budget and financing tools to meet security challenges and the needs of businesses

Financing tools to meet security challenges and the needs of businesses

Amendment 11

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4. Calls on the Commission to consolidate and clarify the ‘defence’ envelope provided for in the 2028-2034 MFF, exploring all options to support Member States’ defence investments without increasing their contributions or taxation, in particular through existing mechanisms;

deleted.

Amendment 12

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4a. Underlines the value of the defence programmes and instruments launched under the current MFF, which create a solid basis for future Union action; reiterates Parliament’s previous calls on the Commission to explore all options to support Member States’ defence investments and to maximise the synergies in existing mechanisms to support the Union’s defence readiness; recalls Parliament’s call to advance towards a genuine European Defence Union and to ensure that the next MFF supports a comprehensive security approach through adequate and coordinated investment, without undermining long-term economic, social and territorial cohesion;

Amendment 13

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4b. Criticises the Commission for not providing a sufficiently detailed breakdown of the defence envelope in its proposal for the 2028–2034 MFF; recalls that a detailed budgetary breakdown is needed to ensure that the budgetary authority is equipped to make meaningful and informed decisions;

Amendment 14

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4c. Highlights the need for a competitive and resilient EDTIB; stresses that commensurate EU-level investment in defence in the next MFF underpinned by transparent governance, can reduce duplication, deliver economies of scale, and enhance interoperability; underscores the importance of investing in modern defence systems, research, drones and anti-drone technologies, unmanned systems for the Union’s defence and surveillance capabilities, cyber-defence, cybersecurity, and dual-use technologies, and of supporting the Union’s defence industry to strengthen strategic autonomy, foster innovation, create quality jobs and to create cross-border opportunities for EU businesses, including SMEs;

Amendment 15

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 d (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4d. Emphasises the importance of reinforcing regional cooperation and cross-border partnerships to enhance Europe’s defence preparedness, industrial interconnectivity and innovation capacity; stresses that investment in transport, energy, and digital corridors contributes both to the Union’s economic cohesion and to its strategic readiness; calls on the Commission to support the Member States by dedicating specific funding to enhance national and regional industrial capabilities, including SMEs and innovative start-ups developing dual-use and cybersecurity technologies; calls furthermore for the strengthening of both the EU’s eastern and southern borders equally, with particular attention to strategic regions such as the Black Sea;

Amendment 16

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 e (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4e. Encourages the Commission, the Member States and the European Defence Agency to develop coordinated frameworks to support and facilitate more integrated and less fragmented cross-border defence cooperation in the EU; notes that existing long-standing partnerships demonstrate the economic and operational benefits of shared capability development; underlines that supporting such bottom-up cooperation would strengthen industrial interoperability, reduce duplication, and contribute to a more efficient internal market for defence;

Amendment 17

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 f (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4f. Reiterates Parliament’s call to secure sufficient resources for these priorities, including through the adoption of new own resources and, where necessary, joint borrowing to meet common security and defence challenges; calls on the Council to adopt new own resources as a matter of urgency, considering that they are essential to meet the Union’s higher spending needs; considers the adoption of new, genuine own resources crucial in this regard;

Amendment 18

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

5. Regrets that the EIB’s investment policy still excludes ‘arms and munitions’; calls, in the interests of consistency with the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, for the EIB to strengthen its commitment to the European defence industry; suggests formally extending its mandate to include support for the EDTIB within a specialised subsidiary, backed by Commission guarantees and supported by a network of experts; believes that such a structure would be a more effective solution than the creation of a new ‘defence, security and resilience bank’, as proposed in the resolution on the White Paper on the future of European defence;

5. Stresses the need to continue strengthening the role of the EIB in supporting Europe’s defence and security objectives; welcomes the fact that the EIB formally integrated defence and security as a cross-cutting public policy goal, points out that the EIB’s investment policy still excludes some defence-related investments despite repeated calls by the European Parliament for change; calls, in the interests of consistency with the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, for the EIB to further strengthen its commitment to the European defence industry and encourages it to explore ways to finance industries and companies, and help start-ups to scale up in the security and defence sector in Europe; takes note of the progress made in opening up its criteria, but considers that these remain insufficient in the light of the needs and the expectations expressed by European defence companies; suggests that the EIB should continuously reflect on and evaluate its role, as well as the scope of eligible investments, in the light of the pressing need to scale up the European defence sector and ensure long-term security and strategic autonomy;

Amendment 19

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

5a. Highlights the fact that EIB investment in the area of security and defence doubled in 2024 to EUR 1 billion, with the EIB’s 2025 plan set to double it again to a record EUR 2 billion; recalls, however, that the EIB’s operations are by nature limited and can only play a supporting role in addressing the significant investment gap;

Amendment 20

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

5b. Welcomes the EIB’s lending for start-ups in the defence and security sector and dual-use infrastructure projects; suggests that the EIB could also develop a dedicated framework for dual-use financing that supports projects in areas such as cybersecurity, drone technologies, and resilient transport infrastructure; underlines that such instruments should be compatible with the EU’s sustainable finance principles and accessible to SMEs throughout the Union;

Amendment 21

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

5c. Insists that more must be done to maximise the potential of the role of the EIB Group – together with other international and national financial institutions – in lending and de-risking in strategic policy areas, such as security and defence projects; calls for an increased risk appetite and ambition from the EIB Group to crowd in investment, while maintaining a strong capital position and safeguarding the Group’s triple-A rating; calls in addition for a reinforced investment partnership to ensure that every euro spent at Union level is used effectively;

Amendment 22

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

6. Stresses the importance of improving the accessibility and consistency of European investment support funds for EDTIB companies by adjusting eligibility criteria, simplifying application procedures and harmonising the objectives of work programmes; calls on Member States to strengthen the role of their chambers of commerce and industry in supporting SMEs in the EDTIB in their research and in gaining access to EU funding;

6. Stresses the importance of improving the accessibility and consistency of European investment support funds for EDTIB companies by adjusting eligibility criteria, simplifying application procedures and harmonising the objectives of work programmes, with particular consideration given to the specific needs, scale and administrative capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups; calls on Member States to strengthen the role of their chambers of commerce and industry in supporting SMEs in the EDTIB in their research and in gaining access to EU funding;

Amendment 23

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

8. Calls on the EIB, with the support of Member States, to attain a figure of EUR 4 billion for short-term loans with risk guarantees of up to 50%, and calls for the relaxation and simplification of the EIB’s defence commitment criteria, as well as the extension of eligibility to indirect subcontractors;

deleted.

Amendment 24

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

9. Notes that, despite the efforts made since the start of the war in Ukraine, many investors remain reluctant to finance defence due to a strict interpretation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, as well as image risk; calls on financial actors to improve their proficiency in analysing and processing defence-related financing; urges the Commission to step up its information and awareness-raising efforts regarding EDTIB financing;

9. Notes that, despite the efforts made since the start of the war in Ukraine, many investors remain reluctant to finance defence due to ethical, legal, regulatory as well as financial concerns; calls on financial actors to improve their proficiency in analysing and processing defence-related financing; urges the Commission to step up its information and awareness-raising efforts regarding EDTIB financing;

Amendment 25

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12. Considers it essential to support a European market of specialised investors offering a continuum of financing (credit, private debt and equity) to companies in the EDTIB at all stages (start-ups, SMEs and mid-cap companies); welcomes the Commission and the EIB’s initiative to establish the Defence Equity Facility, with a budget of EUR 175 million for the period 2024-2027; encourages the EIB to increase this budget to EUR 1 billion in order to better meet the equity needs of the EDTIB and its value chain;

12. Considers it essential to support a European market of specialised investors offering a continuum of financing (credit, private debt and equity) to companies in the EDTIB at all stages (start-ups, SMEs and mid-cap companies) and to ensure equitable access for SMEs and start-ups from all Member States to such investment, through simplified procedures, technical assistance, and regional innovation hubs supported by the EIB; welcomes the Commission and the EIB’s initiative to establish the Defence Equity Facility, with a budget of EUR 175 million for the period 2024-2027; calls on the EIB to increase this budget to EUR 1 billion in order to better meet the equity needs of the EDTIB and its value chain, with particular attention to smaller actors, which face the greatest financing gap;

Amendment 26

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12a. Welcomes the Commission proposal1a for a delegated act to the InvestEU Fund investment guidelines on strategic investments in the field of defence, which calls for the removal of unnecessary administrative burdens in relation to the use of budgetary guarantees and financial instruments to support defence investment, thereby offering additional simplification while respecting the need to protect the security of the EU and its Member States;

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1a https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/document/download/bde304e1-5ae4-4a16-9309-1a193483572a_en?filename=Delegated-Regulation-amending-Delegated-Regulation-EU20211078-InvestEU.pdf.

Amendment 27

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12b. Underlines the need to ensure adequate and predictable support for disruptive and dual-use innovation with civil and military applications; calls on the Commission and the EIB Group to operationalise this support by improving access for early-stage ventures and SMEs, simplifying procedures, clear guidance to investors, and reporting regularly on uptake and geographical distribution; calls for effective implementation through targeted calls and clear guidance to managing authorities so that regions with less-developed defence ecosystems can access these opportunities; invites Member States to reflect these possibilities in programme design and to coordinate with the Commission and the EIB to develop regional investment platforms, ensuring complementarity and avoiding double funding;

Amendment 28

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

12c. Highlights the need to ensure adequate financial support to Member States with external EU borders and especially those with a land border with Russia and/or Belarus, to ensure they have the resources for adequate defence spending as well as to maintain facilities and installations necessary to secure the external borders of the EU, including electronic border security enhancements and other tools for border monitoring and surveillance;

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

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

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted

5.11.2025

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

22

5

5

Members present for the final vote

Georgios Aftias, Rasmus Andresen, Isabel Benjumea Benjumea, Olivier Chastel, Tamás Deutsch, Angéline Furet, Thomas Geisel, Jean-Marc Germain, Sandra Gómez López, Andrzej Halicki, Monika Hohlmeier, Alexander Jungbluth, Fabienne Keller, Janusz Lewandowski, Giuseppe Lupo, Siegfried Mureşan, Jana Nagyová, Fernando Navarrete Rojas, Victor Negrescu, Danuše Nerudová, Younous Omarjee, Karlo Ressler, Bogdan Rzońca, Julien Sanchez, Hélder Sousa Silva, Carla Tavares, Nils Ušakovs

Substitutes present for the final vote

Damian Boeselager, Mohammed Chahim, Kai Tegethoff, Roberts Zīle

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

Vivien Costanzo

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

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