EU approves joint arms procurement, including for Ukraine, for first time in its history

The European Union has approved funding for joint defence procurement by its member states for the first time in its history. This initiative envisages plans to purchase missiles and ammunition, with part of the supply intended for Ukraine.

EU funding will be allocated to five projects under the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA). Each project will receive €60 million in EU support.

Two of the projects involve the joint procurement of Mistral and IRIS-T SLM air defence systems, another two focus on 155 mm ammunition, and a fifth on armoured personnel carriers. According to the European Commission, the total value of these projects exceeds €11 billion.

The selected EDIRPA projects bring together 20 EU member states.

"Most selected projects also include procurement of defence products intended for Ukraine, including air and missile defence systems and ammunition, bolstering the country’s defence capabilities in the context of the ongoing Russian aggression," the European Commission notes.

The EDIRPA programme was adopted by the European Union after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a short-term (until 2025 inclusive) tool to support joint defence procurement by member states and Norway.

In March, the European Commission presented a proposal for a European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) to replace EDIRPA after 2025.