Renew Europe welcomed the adoption of the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) by the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) on 24 April.
EDIP represents a major step forward for a more competitive, autonomous and resilient European defence industry. Renew Europe urges the Council to act swiftly and adopt its position to ensure a final agreement as soon as possible.
In particular, the inclusion of a dedicated instrument to support the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine’s Defence Technological Industrial Base was an absolute necessity to progressively integrate Ukraine into the European defence market.
Renew Europe played a determining role by proposing an approach that was both realistic and ambitious, managing to secure a specific tool to support SMEs and mid-caps.
“While financial resources are crucial, solving the EU's complex issues, particularly in defence, requires more than just spending. We need a strategic shift towards incentivizing private investment, fostering a culture where its contribution is not only accepted but actively encouraged,” said Ivars Ijabs MEP (Latvijas attīstībai, LV).
The Group also proposed a substantial increase in the budget, but considers it deeply regrettable that it was not possible to open the possibility for the Regions to allocate unused cohesion funds to defence industries on their territories.
“It was vital to push for a stronger financial package, as the original Commission proposal was woefully inadequate given the current geopolitical environment. We’ve now secured a €20 billion boost, largely financed through the SAFE joint lending instrument under favorable conditions for Member States,” said Lucia Yar MEP (Progresívne Slovensko, SK).
Photo: European Parliament / 2025