The European Commission has received proposals to improve defense solution acquisitions through a program established under the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act.
On Friday, the commission announced that 12 submissions from member states and Norway after it called for proposals to regulate the EDIRPA Work Program. The entries focused on three areas: ammunition, air and missile defense capabilities, and platforms and legacy system replacements.
The commission is reviewing the submissions’ admissibility and eligibility and will assess them later, with results expected by October.
With a budget of $338 million, EDIRPA results from the EU’s political will and regional security goals. It aims to promote cooperation among EU members and Norway in improving their defense procurement initiatives in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war while addressing gaps identified in the Joint Communication on the Defense Investment Gaps Analysis and Way Forward.
The program will aid member nations in restocking depleted inventories of surface-to-surface ammunition, replacing obsolete equipment, and reinforcing air and missile capabilities and systems. It also aims to strengthen the region’s defense industrial base.