On March 5th, the European Commission and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell i Fontelles, showcased the outline of the European Defense Industrial Strategy (EDIS), a set of actions to support the competitiveness and readiness of its defense industry in the Union.
As a primary action to implement the Strategy, the EC also presented the legislative proposal for a European Defense Industry Programme (EDIP), and a framework of measures aimed at guaranteeing the prompt availability and provision of defense products.
The EDIS in detail
To enhance the readiness of the European defense industry, Member States must invest more effectively and collectively while prioritizing European collaboration, or, in the words of EC President Ursula von der Leyen, “invest more, better, together, and European”. In support of this objective, the European Defense Industrial Strategy outlines a series of actions designed to:
- Facilitate a more streamlined articulation of collective defense demand among Member States, leveraging existing mechanisms such as the Capability Development Plan (CDP), the Coordinated Annual Review on Defense (CARD), and Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). This will involve encouraging cooperative procurement efforts among Member States during the defense capability acquisition phase.
