EU Commission consults member states on draft defence industrial strategy

The European Commission is seeking input from EU countries and the arms industry on ways to make the latter more flexible and less reliant on third countries.

As Euractiv reported citing information leaked from an internal memo, the move is part of efforts to shape the future European Defence Industry Strategy (EDIS).

The questions and ideas include how to map production capacity, establish a one-stop shop for all, and secure budgets.

The consultation aims to address fragmentation and improve efficiency and cooperation in defence spending.

The European Commission had faced criticism for not conducting impact assessments before proposing certain initiatives.

The consultation comes in light of the Commission being criticized for not having conducted impact assessments before presenting its Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), ammunition plan for Ukraine, and the Joint Procurement Act (EDIRPA).

After an attempt to propose a strategy earlier this autumn similar to the US' Defence Production Act, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton postponed it to next year and announced consultations with stakeholders.