The European Commission has proposed five large-scale joint defence initiatives aimed at accelerating Europe’s ability to design and produce advanced military systems, as the

bloc responds to a more volatile security environment and seeks closer alignment with NATO capability targets.

The so-called European Defence Projects of Common Interest bring together member states in coordinated industrial programs spanning drones and counter-drone systems, maritime and seabed defence, space capabilities, air and missile defence, and reinforcement of security along the EU’s eastern frontier.

The initiative is backed by the €1.5 billion European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), with €325 million earmarked for the launch and early deployment phase, according to the Commission’s work program published in March 2026.

On average, 18 EU member states are participating in each project, with Ukraine involved in four of the five initiatives. The programs are also open to cooperation with non-EU partners including Norway.

The Commission said the projects are designed to pool resources for capabilities that are too complex or costly for individual countries to develop alone, while strengthening industrial capacity and supply chains across Europe. Officials also framed the effort as complementary to NATO planning priorities, as the alliance pushes members to boost readiness and interoperability.

Under the framework, the Commission will co-finance and coordinate implementation, while tracking progress against agreed milestones. The proposals now move to the Council of the European Union, which must approve the list of projects, define their scope, participating countries and expected investment volumes.

Once endorsed, the initiatives will become eligible for EU funding under EDIP, enabling initial rollout and potentially unlocking additional support from the planned European Competitiveness Fund.

The broader legal basis for the program is the EDIP regulation, adopted in December 2025, which is intended to modernize Europe’s defence industrial base, expand production capacity and secure supply chains for military equipment across member states.