European Defense Industry Program will strengthen security in Europe and Latvia - MEP Ijabs

RIGA - The European Defense Industry Program (EDIP) will strengthen security in Europe and Latvia, believes European Parliament member Ivars Ijabs (For Latvia's Development).

After several years of work, the European Union has reached agreement on the EDIP, the MEP's office informed LETA. Its aim is to strengthen Europe's defense capabilities, increase investment in new technologies and support businesses across the EU, including in Latvia.

Ijabs, one of the MEPs who have been involved in the development of the program, says that a concrete result has finally been achieved to make Europe and Latvia safer. He explains that the program provides additional funding for border security and modern technologies, as well as more opportunities for Latvian companies to get involved in large European projects.

Ijabs also emphasizes the program's focus on the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises, providing them with support to start or expand production.

The program aims to increase the European defense industry's capacity and reduce dependence on external suppliers, which is particularly important at a time of increasing security risks in Europe.

The MEP points out that in Latvia, the program will strengthening security and foster economic growth. The EDIP will provide funding for border security, including the possibility to build a drone wall, as well as to develop advanced technologies and increase production capacities.

"Latvia's small and medium-sized enterprises will be able to participate more actively in defense projects by receiving additional support to start up or expand new production capacities," says Ijabs.

The EDIP is part of a broader strategy to strengthen European defense capabilities, which aims to cut red tape, boost investment and ensure coordinated development of the defense industry across the EU.

The EU on Thursday arrived at an agreement for a program boosting its defense industry, with an initial EUR 1.5 billion to ramp up production and supply chains, AFP reported.

The development - the fruit of long negotiations - puts the bloc on track to improve its defense readiness, and also aims to "support defense industrial cooperation with Ukraine", the EU Council said in a statement.

The EUR 1.5 billion budget for the EDIP, provided as grants, covers the period 2025-2027, according to the agreement struck with the European Parliament.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the news as an important step towards the EU being "defense-ready by 2030".

Negotiations on the EDIP had long been dogged by the question of whether or not to give a preference to European-made military equipment, weapons and ammunition. Some EU countries wanted to use the program to finance the purchase of materiel from outside the bloc, notably from the United States.

The compromise reached will limit the value of components made outside the EU or its partner countries such as Norway, to 35 percent of the total investment.

Currently, the EU gets more than 60 percent of its military weapons and systems from outside the bloc, mainly from the United States. Brussels wants to reduce that to 45 percent.

Some EUR 300 million from the first EDIP budget will go to defense cooperation with Ukraine.

The European Parliament said it has secured funding towards the budget from non-EU countries that also want to participate in the EDIP, such as Great Britain and Canada.