MEPs debate on new rules to incentivise EU countries to jointly procure defence products and support the EU’s defence industry. The new regulation, already agreed with member states, establishes a short-term instrument to boost the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA) through to 2025. The tool should help member states address their most urgent and critical defence needs, especially those which have been exacerbated by the transfer of defence products to Ukraine, in a voluntary and collaborative way. Opening statement by Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE) and Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteurs, Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Karlo RESSLER (EPP, HR), Rapporteur for BUDG. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

common security and defence policy (T)

GAHLER, Michael (EPP, DE)

Security and defence (T2)

KRASNODĘBSKI, Zdzisław (ECR, PL)

HOHLMEIER, Monika (EPP, DE)

RESSLER, Karlo (EPP, HR)

SINKEVIČIUS, Virginijus (LT, EC)

European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA): opening statement by Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE) and Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteurs, Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/72056201/1694438948456_I244570Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, President colleagues. The Commissioner is not yet here. Tomorrow's vote on the idea for the European Defence industry reinforcement through Common Procurement Act. This is a watershed moment in European defence because for the first time using EU funds, we provide support to the Member States in order to buy defence instruments.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, But there is no it EDIRPA without Putin. Without Putin there would be no ASAP, which is about speeding up ammunition production. He began his war back in 2014. Without Putin, we wouldn't have activated PESCO or the European Defence Fund, all of which are relevant here. So it's regrettable that this is needed, that there was a brutal attack on Ukraine which led to the need for this instrument, which brought it along.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, We could have acted and we should have acted earlier because the situation was made possible 25 years ago when the Brits and the French met in Saint Malo and should have looked at this policy area more. A lot has happened since then. We've written many papers, we've had strategies, instruments, and we've even created a European Defence fund.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, But when it came to looking soberly at the situation, we haven't really done that. If you look at the 70 PESCO projects, so this is permanent, structured cooperation. Of these 70 projects, very few have really come to life, little change.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, So, common defence procurement is now a logical consequence. Building on research and development through the ADF. Because if you develop something together, you're creating something together. So, then, this is the key to true European defence, where European forces work together on the basis of shared defence goods, and this can lead to economies of scale.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, So we have to overcome any political disagreements. So if there is a short term instrument as a result of the Ukraine war but we, as the European Parliament, have fought hard to ensure that defence instruments and defence equipment can be provided to Moldova. But this initial funding can only be the start so that the member can continue to provide support to Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, We've neglected our defence industry for 30 years, so we will need more funds. I therefore hope that the Commission will come up with a major investment fund for the defence industry. If we look at it deeper, what will be decisive? It will be decisive and important that this act boasts the necessary funds so that it can meet its targets.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, I would like to say thank you for the constructive work with all rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs at this point. I would also like to thank the Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the Council and all staff members who were involved. We've managed it to top up the fund.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, The Commission ultimately put forward €500 million and then 40 million will be for the ASAP programme. So 40 million was diverted away, which we shouldn't let that happen in the future. And I hope that we will make progress on this particular matter in the future. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteur, Dear colleagues, as Mister Gahler has said, the EDIRPA, the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act, is urgently required following the Russian aggression against Ukraine starting in February last year.

SOUNDBITE (Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteur, I do have somewhat of a complaint though. I don't think the European Parliament has responded rapidly enough. Now, it's 15 months after the Commission published its draft and we had the last trialogue under Swedish presidency. In the meantime, we have adopted a ASAP for supporting munitions acquisition.

SOUNDBITE (Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteur, And those of you who complain about Council and point the finger at the Council. It wasn't Council that watered down our work or made our work less effective. It is actually Parliament, those responsible for the delays this time, no conflicts between different parliamentary Committees.

SOUNDBITE (Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteur, It wasn't easy to allocate competences between Committees. The instrument could have seen the light of day some months ago and we might have already seen some results by now. I'd like to give you the two most important objectives: strengthening the European defence industry to encourage countries to cooperate and the second aim is to fill the current gaps in munitions reserves following the transfers to Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteur, Joint procurement of munitions is forbidden under the treaties, so we need to respect the treaties. What we need is greater cooperation between Member States, so that Member States can engage in joint acquisition on the basis of own funds. It is, of course, important to make use of all instruments available, including EU funding, to reinforce Member States defence capacity as far as possible.

SOUNDBITE (Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteur, During the negotiations we have been defending certain European Parliament positions. I'm thinking particularly of having higher amounts, even if it is lower than the Commission's original proposal, direct military aid to Ukraine and Moldova were also amongst our aims. We now have €300 million euro.

SOUNDBITE (Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteur, It's well below what the Commission originally proposed. But, do bear in mind that this is a sum which will be used not for acquisitions themselves, but rather for the removal of barriers currently impeding European cooperation. So, the results that it may achieve could in fact be that there is significant greater demand for defence related products.

SOUNDBITE (Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), Rapporteur, There may well also be greater EU investment in their own military infrastructure, so and materials. So, I'd like to thank Mr. Gahler not only for the good spirit of cooperation between the two Committees, but between Poland and Germany on this occasion. As representatives, I'd like to thank him and all of the shadows and the Swedish Presidency.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, President. Honourable Members. Today, we mark a new stage in European defence integration. As Russia's unprovoked war continues to rage on European soil, we are about to adopt in the Europa a new instrument to support the joint procurement of armaments.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, And I would like to thank the co-Rapporteurs, the shadow Rapporteurs and the individual Member States who worked on this text, which tomorrow the Chamber will have the opportunity to adopt. And for the first time the EU budget will encourage Member States to jointly procure the most urgent and critical defence products.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, This is a historic step forward. With this new initiative, our objectives are manifold. First, we want to respond to the difficult truth. The war in Ukraine made bluntly clear Europe must restore its collective defence capabilities. Since 24th of February, together with our allies and through the mobilisation of the European Peace Facility, we have organised and supported the transfer of arms to Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, It is a massive effort, unprecedented, however, to facilitate the support the Member States must draw on their stocks ammunition, light or heavy artillery, antiaircraft or anti-tank defence systems, armoured vehicles, tanks and as we recently heard, even F-16s. This both limits the possibilities of Member States to provide further support to war ravaged Ukraine and weakens Member States defensive capacities. We must address this urgently.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, With the new European Joint Procurement Instrument. We are proposing a European mechanism to carry out part of the stock recovery effort. This will come in support, for instance, of the recent framework contract that EDA just managed to conclude on ammunitions as part of the free tracks approach on ammunitions, and this shows that there is increasing momentum within Member States to join procurement.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, EDIRPA will help us to sustain and increase this momentum. Secondly, we want to avoid fragmentation. Many Member States have announced a significant increase in defence spending in the face of the new security situation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, There is a risk, however, that investments will be made purely along the national lines and that would mean a fragmentation of armaments offers a very damaging lack of interoperability. And the challenge to the efforts made with the European Defence Fund to develop an integrated European defence industrial base.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, With EDIRPA, we offer Member States a path, a European alternative, by creating a common incentive and investment framework. Thirdly, we want to support the adaptation of the European industry to the harsh reality the return of high intensity conflicts in our continent.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Our industrial base is currently not prepared, neither in terms of volume nor pace to cope with the new security situation at our borders. And since Member States need the same equipment at the same time and in the large volumes, there is a great risk of competition between Member States leading to higher prices and above all unguaranteed access to key capacities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, As we have done with vaccines, we must therefore act in the interest of all Europeans to smooth out emergencies, even to distribute available capacities and support and an accelerated trace in our industrial base. No Member State should be left behind.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, It has been developed and will be implemented in full synergy with another important initiative,  the ACT in support of Ammunition Production, ASAP, endorsed by the co-legislators in record time. So, the Commission is grateful to the European Parliament and the Council for a swift reaction.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, If Europe allows for the structuring of demand, while ACP supports the ramp up of Ammunition Production, the Commission will implement both programmes in a diligent and timely manner. This is our collective responsibility to ensure continued support for Ukraine and the security of our Member States. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Karlo RESSLER (EPP, HR), Committee on Budgets, Thank you very much, Chair. Commissioner, Colleagues. The Russian aggression against Ukraine helped open Europe's eyes to the fact that security and defence are issues that we cannot take for granted. Ukrainian resistance helped Europe realise that today we did not find fight for Western civilisation by with words, but with deeds.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Karlo RESSLER (EPP, HR), Committee on Budgets, Joint procurement in this context should strengthen Europe's defence sector, should reduce competition between Member States and should also prevent the fragmentation of the defence sector and should improve cooperation when it comes to the budget. In the future, financing will have to be increased, but it is crucial that we have set up a base, so that our defence industry will be stronger.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Karlo RESSLER (EPP, HR), Committee on Budgets, The Multiannual Financial Framework is almost empty now, so I want to call upon everyone to revise, to think about concrete proposals and to further strengthen our budget that is necessary in such a dangerous world. Thank you.