Renew Europe welcomes deal on defence simplification package
The Renew Europe Group welcomes today's agreement between the Council and the European Parliament on the "Defence Omnibus" package, a set of measures designed to cut red tape and make Europe's defence industry faster, stronger and more competitive.
Cutting bureaucracy to boost security
For too long, outdated and overly complex rules have slowed down Europe's ability to invest in its own defence. The agreement reached removes unnecessary administrative hurdles that were holding back defence projects - from lengthy permit procedures to cumbersome procurement rules. Under the new framework, authorisation decisions for priority projects shall be taken within a standard period of 42 working days. This constitutes a radical reduction in the timelines. Thereby our Group has defended the rule that if Member States do not take any decision within the timeframe, the permit will be automatically approved. This is the necessary incentive to make sure that our Member States will start taking defence permits seriously.
Renew MEP Lucia Yar (Progressive Slovakia, Slovakia), EP rapporteur for the Committee on Defence & Security on the “acceleration of permit-granting for defence projects” file, stated:
“Faced with the acute threat from our adversaries, Europe can no longer allow paperwork to stand between its citizens and their security. In some Member States, approving a single defence project has taken as long as two years. That is time we can not afford to waste. This deal removes such bureaucratic delays, while giving smaller companies a real chance to take part. It also ensures firm monitoring safeguards, as well as regular Commission review of how the new rules work in practice – a priority Renew fought for."
Lucia YarRenew Europe MEP, Slovakia, Progresívne Slovensko
A better deal for industry, especially smaller firms
The package creates better conditions across the EU for companies working in defence. Cross-border cooperation between companies becomes easier and Member States receive more tools for procurement.
Renew MEP Anna-Maja Henriksson (Svenska folkpartiet, Finland), EP rapporteur for the Committee on Internal Market on “the intra-EU transfers and defence procurement” file, emphasised:
“It was important that we achieved a trilogue agreement today, which enables the whole Defence Omnibus to proceed to adoption. It is an important first step towards a more competitive European defence industry and a stronger Single Market for Defence that will make us less dependent on third countries. For example, we are now quadrupling the threshold value for procurements and creating several new general transfer licences, which will save companies months of time when they want to transfer defence products from one country to another within the internal market.”
Anna-Maja HenrikssonRenew Europe MEP, Finland, Svenska folkpartiet
Environmental standards maintained
The simplification effort does not come at the cost of safety or environmental protection. The agreement ensures that existing standards on human health and chemical use are preserved, with clearly defined exemptions applying only where strictly necessary for defence preparedness purposes.
MEP Stine Bosse (Moderaterne, Denmark), Renew shadow rapporteur for the ENVI committee on the “facilitating defence investments” file added:
“The agreement updates EU chemicals rules to better support defence activities while maintaining strong protections for people and the environment. It simplifies and streamlines limited exemptions for defence-related use of chemicals, while keeping strict safeguards in place and ensuring all exemptions are clearly justified. The agreement prevents changes that could have weakened existing restrictions on hazardous substances in civilian products. It also clarifies rules on reporting exemptions for certain persistent pollutants, limiting them to Union and national defence interests and strengthening transparency. Overall, the deal provides flexibility for defence without lowering EU standards on health and environmental protection.”
Stine BosseRenew Europe MEP, Denmark, Moderaterne
A milestone for European defence
This deal is part of a broader effort to build a genuine European Defence Union - one where industry, member states and EU institutions work together without bureaucratic obstacles standing in the way. Europe can only defend itself if it can equip itself, and this package makes that significantly easier.
Looking ahead to 2030
The agreement is a step forward, but the work is far from over. Europe has set itself the goal of being truly defence-ready by 2030, with a strong and competitive industrial base spanning all member states, including smaller companies. Renew Europe believes that further progress is needed on specific fronts: making it easier for EU countries to buy defence equipment together by ensuring European companies are given fair consideration, and removing the remaining barriers to moving defence equipment freely across EU borders.