EU adopts Defence Omnibus to streamline procurement and boost industry investment

The European Union reached a provisional agreement between the Council and the European Parliament on a new Defence Omnibus package. The legislation aims to cut bureaucratic delays in defence and security procurement, setting a maximum licensing period of 102 working days and introducing a “silence means approval” rule after 42 days. It also simplifies access to the European Defence Fund, lowers administrative requirements for funding applications, and offers higher funding rates for projects involving small and medium‑sized enterprises.

The package is part of the EU’s Readiness 2030 and ReArm Europe initiatives and is designed to facilitate up to €800 billion of defence‑related investments over the next four years. It includes provisions to ease the movement of defence products across borders, create longer framework contracts, and grant exemptions for certain chemicals used in defence projects while maintaining health and environmental standards. EU officials, such as Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius and Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna, highlighted the reforms as a step toward a more competitive and autonomous European defence sector.

The agreement still faces criticism from some political groups who argue it does not go far enough in achieving a fully integrated European defence market.