Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 10, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe EU plans to propose increased flexibility in defence procurement to simplify funding access and address industry concerns.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission will propose next week to give governments more flexibility on defence procurement and make access to European funding easier, European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said on Tuesday.
"Without this simplification, nothing else in defence readiness will be possible to achieve," Kubilius told a conference in Brussels. "Putin will not wait for us to get our paperwork in order," he added.
The European defence industry has raised concerns about EU red tape and delays in accessing funds.
The proposal, expected to be presented on June 17, will aim to address some of these complaints.
"We intend to give more flexibility to member states in common procurements, more flexibility on framework agreements, and we intend to facilitate innovation procurement," he said, adding that the Commission also wants to make access to the bloc's defence fund "easier".
The commissioner said it would also be important to look at other rules that impact defence, pointing to permits, reporting obligations, competition rules and sustainable finance.
Kubilius said the Commission will propose simplifying a directive on defence procurement and a directive on intra-EU transfers of defence products.
(Reporting by Lili Bayer, editing by Bart Meijer)
The European Commission will propose to give governments more flexibility on defence procurement and make access to European funding easier.
Simplification is crucial for achieving defence readiness, as highlighted by Commissioner Kubilius, who noted that delays could hinder responses to threats.
The proposal aims to provide more flexibility in common procurements, framework agreements, and to facilitate innovation procurement.
The European defence industry has expressed concerns about EU red tape and delays in accessing funds, which the upcoming proposal seeks to address.
The Commission will also look at rules impacting defence, including permits, reporting obligations, competition rules, and sustainable finance.
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