Defence: EU countries clear the first five European projects of common interest

Brussels – The European Council today (28 September) approved five European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs) to strengthen Europe’s operational readiness and industrial capacity in the defence sector. They will bring European countries together to develop critical capabilities in drones and anti-drone systems, maritime and seabed defence, space, air and missile defence, and the protection of Europe’s eastern flank. “EDPCIs were introduced by the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) adopted by the EU in 2025,” the Council states.

The five selected projects are now eligible for EU funding through the EDIP, which will enable them to get off the ground and lay the foundations for potential further funding through the future European Competitiveness Fund. The identified EDPCIs are: Drone and Counter-Drone European Resolve (DECODER), which will help European countries build, scale up, and deploy drones — and technology to stop enemy drones — to address critical capability gaps across the participating countries; Integrated Maritime and Seabed Defence (IMSD), which will create an integrated and interoperable defence system allowing participating countries to identify, deter, and respond to threats at sea and on the seabed; SPACE, which will strengthen Europe’s space capabilities in several critical areas. These include early-warning satellites to detect missile launches, satellite communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as precise positioning and timing systems; integrated and federated EU air and missile defence, including early warning capability (EU-FIAMD) which t will provide member states with collective and effective integrated air and missile defence – including early warning of incoming threats and coordinated command systems; and the “Eastern Flank Watch’ initiative” (EFW) which will boost security along the eastern border of the participating countries, covering land, air, sea, cyber, and other domains, with the aim of protecting their entire territory and thereby strengthen their defence readiness.

On 16 February 2026, the Commission launched a call for expressions of interest to consult EU Member States on identifying potential European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs). Nine project proposals were submitted. On 3 July 2026, taking into account the opinion of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Defence Agency, the Commission proposed a list of five EDPCIs.