The Council of the European Union has officially approved legislative changes aimed at strengthening defense investments and implementing the ReArm plan for Europe’s rearmament.
This is reported by Finway
Ukraine to Gain New Opportunities in Defense Research
The updated regulations open up access for Ukrainian enterprises to collaborate with the European Defense Fund. This, in turn, creates conditions for Ukrainian companies to participate in joint research and development in the defense sector at the European level in the future.
“Among other things, the new rules allow Ukraine to establish connections with the European Defense Fund, thereby creating new opportunities for Ukrainian economic entities to join joint EU defense research and development in the future,” the statement reads.
Key EU Programs for Defense Cooperation
The decision concerns five main programs of the European Union: ‘Digital Europe’, the European Defense Fund, the Connecting Europe Facility, the Strategic Technology Platform for Europe, and the ‘Horizon Europe’ program. The changes are intended to ensure more effective use of these programs to support defense activities, particularly through operational and coordinated investments in security across Europe.
The EU Council emphasized that this step is a testament to the European Union’s commitment to security, resilience, and the gradual integration of Ukraine into the European defense and technological industrial base.
The new regulation also includes legal changes that will allow for faster and more effective defense investments within the EU. The document highlights the importance of strengthening Europe’s Defense Industrial and Technological Base (EDTIB) in response to growing geopolitical challenges.
The ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in March 2025, envisions a significant increase in EU defense spending. Additionally, as part of the ‘Readiness 2030’ strategy, the European Commission is developing a roadmap to enhance European defense capabilities by 2030.