European Union approves 300 million euros for five joint defense projects

The Council of the European Union has given political approval to a 300 million euro funding package distributed across five joint military programs. This agreement marks the first activation of European Defence Interest Common Projects (EDPCI), a mechanism designed to address strategic defense needs that individual member states cannot develop alone.

The funding will be split equally, with 60 million euros allocated to each of the five initiatives: DECODER, IMSD, SPACE, EU-FIAMD, and EFW. The EFW program specifically focuses on surveillance of the bloc’s eastern flank. These projects aim to fill urgent strategic gaps in air defense, maritime protection, space capabilities, drone technology, and counter-drone operations.

Primary funding will come from the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), with potential additional support from the future European Competitiveness Fund. Participation varies by program, involving between 15 and 26 members, including Norway and Ukraine, though Ukraine is excluded from the space-related project. Total investment mobilized by these programs through 2045 is estimated to reach between 3.5 billion and 100 billion euros. Final official adoption is expected at the Defense Ministers Council in Brussels on September 28.