EU members approve five big pan-European defence projects

EU members on Monday approved plans for five pan-European defence projects spanning space, sea, air, and drone defence measures, which will now be eligible for EU funding.

The European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs) allow European countries to work together on major defence initiatives that would be too large or too complex for a single EU member to develop, the Council of the European Union said in a statement announcing the approvals.

The five projects that were cleared for funding focus on developing drone and anti-drone warfare, and protecting Europe's Eastern flank.


Originally proposed by the European Commission in July, they also include an integrated maritime and seabed ​defence project, an air and missile defence and early-warning project and a space-based defence project.

"Working closely with our partners Norway and Ukraine, together we are taking decisive steps to protect space, our skies, our seas, undersea cables and our citizens who depend on them," Helen McEntee, the defence minister of Ireland - which holds the Council's rotating presidency - said in a statement.

Under the bloc's European Defence Industry Programme, a budget of €325 million ($370 million) is designated for the EDPCIs, with more funding potentially available in the future.