EU Approves Five Joint Defence Projects With Ukraine Included in Four
The programmes will pool EU industry and procurement to close long-term capability gaps with an initial €325 million of Commission seed funding.
Overview
- The Council of the EU approved the first five European Defence Projects of Common Interest on Sept. 28, and the European Commission immediately allocated €325 million under the €1.5 billion industry programme to set them up.
- The programmes target five capability areas: drone and counter‑drone systems, maritime and seabed defence, space, and air and missile defence, plus a geographically focused Eastern Flank Watch to bolster security on the EU’s eastern border.
- Ukraine will take part in four of the five projects with the space project remaining the sole exception, enabling Kyiv to join EU testing, production and capability hubs.
- Commission and member‑state estimates show these are long, costly programmes with DECODER (drones) at about €3.5–5.5 billion, the air and missile defence project at €55–80 billion by 2040, and the Eastern Flank Watch at €60–100 billion by 2036.
- Member states must now work out industrial workstreams, contracts and extra funding for procurement while short‑term aid and stockpile transfers such as possible Patriot interceptor moves remain separate priorities to meet urgent needs.