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DRAFT REPORT (2025/2088(INI))

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

SEDE-PR-775735

Committee on Security and Defence · Rapporteur: Reinis Pozņaks

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

This draft report addresses the EU's need to adapt to drone warfare and new systems of warfare. It calls for integrating drones into military doctrines, enhancing counter-drone capabilities, and improving procurement and financing. It recommends streamlining certification, simplifying transfer rules, and establishing regional manufacturing hubs. It also urges the creation of a European defensive drone academy and joint EU-NATO cooperation. The report calls for stockpiling drone components, developing strategic reserves, and enhancing civil defence strategies. It also addresses counter-terrorism operations and strategic partnerships.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes a resolution calling for comprehensive EU adaptation to drone warfare, including integration into military doctrines, enhanced counter-drone capabilities, streamlined procurement, and strengthened EU-NATO cooperation.

Key points

  1. Recognises that soldiers must create real-time 'drone walls' integrating radar, acoustic sensors and laser-based 'hard-kill' solutions for survivability and situational awareness.
  2. Recommends integrating anti-drone rifles, electronic warfare capabilities and resilient C2s into infantry forces, and calls for joint programmes for cost-effective C-UAS capabilities.
  3. Encourages armed forces to integrate drones into all combat doctrines and calls on Member States and Ukraine to jointly train and certify drone pilots, invest in counter-drone systems, and establish drone defence zones.
  4. Urges Member States to integrate drone-specific response protocols into national resilience plans and develop comprehensive civil defence strategies against drone attacks.
  5. Calls on the European Defence Agency to implement pre-approved vendor lists and priority orders, and on the Commission to simplify intra-EU transfer rules for drone-related technology.
  6. Calls for EU-origin criteria for EDF-funded drone platforms, prioritising regional manufacturing hubs, and for a critical drone component manufacturing action plan and strategic reserves.
  7. Invites the Commission, EDA and Member States to launch a European defensive drone academy, and calls for stockpiling drone components and creating forward-deployed repair hubs.
  8. Calls for a dedicated EDA budget for UAS, adoption of missile and drone launch detection systems, and integration of C-UAS into joint training exercises and civil protection planning.
  9. Calls for EU-wide UAS standardisation, obligatory continued airworthiness, and expanding certified testing grounds for drone capabilities.
  10. Calls for a joint EU-NATO drone centre of excellence, institutionalised Ukraine-NATO-EU knowledge transfer, a permanent EU-NATO drone coordination cell, and a unified UAS interoperability standard.
  11. Supports EU cooperation with the International Drone Coalition, encourages strategic partnerships for co-production, and calls for synergy with the Chips Act for semiconductor manufacturing.
  12. Calls for a modular C-UAS training curriculum for counter-terrorism units, incorporation of C-UAS doctrine into joint EU CT exercises, and funding for joint procurement of C-UAS systems.

Who is affected

  • Member States' armed forces: required to integrate drones into doctrines, train pilots, and invest in counter-drone systems.
  • European Defence Agency: tasked with implementing vendor lists, expanding innovation accelerator, and establishing a dedicated UAS budget.
  • European Commission: asked to simplify transfer rules, draft action plans, and explore co-financing with partners.
  • EU and NATO: called to create joint centres and coordination cells for drone warfare.
  • Ukraine: invited to cooperate on training, certification, and knowledge transfer.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 7.1 billion contract for Eurodrone programme to develop and produce 60 drones.
  • EUR 100 million EU funding support for Eurodrone in 2024.

Legal basis: Articles 42(7) and 222 of the Treaty on European Union