The European Union must build a more responsive defence industry to assume greater responsibility for its own security and sustain support for Ukraine, the annual EDA industry conference heard, as pressure from the United States intensifies and Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine enters its fifth year.
On 26 February 2026, the European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted its defence industry conference at the European Parliament, bringing together EU Member States, industry representatives and EU officials to debate the future of Europe’s defence capabilities. Discussions focused on accelerating progress under the Defence Readiness 2030 agenda, aimed at strengthening industrial preparedness, expanding production capacity and extending more long-term orders through joint procurement.
EDA Chief Executive André Denk said that the EU requires “a defence industry that can develop, produce and deliver everything we need, both simple defence products like ammunition or complex systems like airframes.”
“That demands sustained investments to ensure the competitiveness of the European defence industry and to make up for the past decades,” he said. At the same time, Europe faces renewed calls from Washington to do more. “While this is not new, the voices calling for a redistribution of the transatlantic burden have certainly grown louder,” Denk said.
Since 2022, the EU has introduced a suite of measures. These include the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA), Security Action for Europe (SAFE), the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), and a new Ukraine support loan. Together, the initiatives are designed to boost industrial capacity, foster cross-border cooperation and ensure Europe can respond rapidly to evolving security threats.
Meanwhile EDA has its own structures to support industry, including:
- Help in navigating EU policies
- Advocating for access to finance
- Standardisation
- Test & Evaluation
- Joint procurement
- Events with industry across all domains (Land, air, sea, space and cyber)
“A deliberate choice”
The EU has also become the largest provider of military, financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. “So this means that our aid is crucial for Ukraine. It also means that Ukraine’s fate is partially linked to the European defence industry’s ability to produce and to deliver the capabilities and equipment that Ukraine needs right now,” Denk added.
Marie Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee, echoed the call for closer collaboration, arguing that higher spending alone would not guarantee security. “Our shared responsibility is to ensure that this money is spent wisely,” Strack-Zimmermann said. “We need more joint planning, joint development, joint production and joint procurement – not as a slogan, as a method. Fewer national wish lists, more common projects, less duplication, more interoperability, less fragmentation, more scale.”
Delegates debated the pros and cons of a 'European preference,' whereby Member States should prioritise purchasing military equipment from other EU countries rather than from outside suppliers. Some industry representatives also warned that new companies receiving EU funding must commit to maintaining their defence products over many years, for instance ensuring compatibility with the 40-year operational lifespan of an aircraft carrier.
EU Member States spent around €381 billion on defence in 2025, equivalent to 2.1% of GDP, according to EDA data. Since 2022, the bloc’s new instruments are worth a combined €242 billion to support production and joint procurement, EDA estimates.
The European Commission has also proposed a European Competitiveness Fund that would allocate €131 billion for defence, security and space under the EU’s long-term 2028–2034 budget. Industry is also expected to benefit from €150 billion in loans under the SAFE instrument in 2026, while the separate €90 billion Ukraine loan would direct €60 billion towards strengthening Ukraine’s defence industrial capacity and equipment purchases.
Asked by one EU lawmaker if this money was really necessary, Denk said: “If Europe wants to deter Russian aggression in a convincing manner, then we have to ramp up our military capabilities. We have to enhance our military, but also civilian resilience within the populations. And this comes with a price, so it's a deliberate choice.”