Ministers of Defence pave the way for a stronger European Defence Agency

At the European Defence Agency's (EDA) Ministerial Steering Board meeting held today in Brussels, EU Ministers of Defence reviewed a single strategic agenda item: the strengthening of EDA.

Against the backdrop of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and a deteriorating security environment, Ministers agreed on the Agency's proposal for a stepped approach in strengthening EDA over the next three years and specifically endorsed the first step. The proposal is structured around five mutually reinforcing lines of action:

1. Scaling up research, technology and innovation
2. Establishing a dedicated collaborative defence procurement structure
3. Further strengthening the EDA's central role in capability development
4. Reinforcing the EDA's policy support, including existing and potential partnerships with third countries and international organisations
5. Implementing cross-cutting organisational measures to make the Agency more effective

The three-step approach establishes a roadmap for the Agency's transformation in the years ahead. The first phase, endorsed today and expected to begin in mid-2026, focuses primarily on reinforcing the Agency's innovation and experimentation functions, as well as strengthening its acquisition-related capacities.

"Today's endorsement of our strengthening plans by the EDA Ministerial Steering Board marks an essential step towards deeper defence cooperation at EU level, while ensuring that Member States remain firmly in the driving seat," said André Denk, EDA Chief Executive.

"EDA will now put in place the appropriate structures for innovation, experimentation and collaborative procurement. Accordingly, we will strive to redeploy internal resources to better reflect these priorities, and we will also launch targeted recruitments starting in June."

"The remaining lines of action will be refined in the coming months in close cooperation with our shareholders - the Member States," Denk added.

In the field of research and innovation: EDA will expand operational experimentation campaigns in order to accelerate the development and integration of emerging technologies into defence capabilities supporting the armed forces.

In the field of procurement: EDA will establish a collaborative defence procurement centre bringing together contractual and armament experts and enabling the Agency to manage multiple procurement projects simultaneously. The centre will focus on contracted services and off-the-shelf equipment. It will be complementary to national procurement agencies and other international organisations such as OCCAR.

Today's discussion follows the conclusions of the European Council of October 2025 and March 2026, which called for a reinforced role for the EDA in European defence capability development, collaborative research and joint acquisition efforts. The ambitions underpinning this transformation are fully aligned with the EDA's 2024 Long-Term Review.

The subsequent phases of the Agency's strengthening will continue to be refined together with the Member States in the weeks and months ahead and will be reviewed at future Steering Board meetings.