The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached yesterday between the European Parliament and the Council, which opens the possibility for Ukraine to be associated with the €7.3 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) . This represents an important step forward in EU–Ukraine defence cooperation and in strengthening Europe's collective security and industrial resilience. It also paves the way for Ukraine's gradual integration into the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB ).
The agreement is part of a broader legislative package to boost defence-related investment under the EU budget, the so-called ' mini-omnibus '. It will make EU programmes more flexible and better aligned to support Europe's defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB), innovation, and infrastructure — from military mobility to dual-use technologies.
It is a key element in the implementation of the ReArm Europe Plan and a direct complement to the Mid-Term Review of the Cohesion Policy and the Defence Readiness Omnibus . It marks a new milestone in strengthening cooperation with Ukraine and its defence industrial ecosystems.
The co-legislators provisionally agreed to extend the scope of STEP to cover defence technologies and allow the EIC Accelerator to support dual-use and defence innovation. The Digital Europe Programme (DEP) will also expand to dual-use applications, while the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) will be adapted to better support investments in military mobility. The regulation also amends the European Defence Fund (EDF) to better support the development of the European defence industry and allow more agile support to disruptive technologies for defence.
This new legislation complements the Commission's Mid-Term Review (MTR) of Cohesion Policy entered into force on 19 September 2025, which foresees a set of flexibilities to encourage Member States to carry out a meaningful reprogramming towards several priorities, including defence and competitiveness.
Background
This initiative aligns with the objectives of the joint White Paper for European Defence - Readiness 2030. It sets a clear pathway for the EU to support the development of the defence capabilities needed to protect its citizens, safeguard its values, and respond to a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.
The new regulation will now be formally adopted by the Parliament and the Council. Once in force, it will allow the Commission to implement these changes across key EU programmes, ensuring faster and more coordinated support for Europe's defence and for Ukraine's integration into the European defence industrial ecosystem.
