Approval of the European Defence Industrial Programme (EDIP) faces delays after ten EU member states raised objections to strict Buy European provisions limiting non-EU defence firms’ involvement, according to Euractiv.
While the dissenting nations—Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czechia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, and Finland—confirmed they “do not wish to stand in the way” of adoption, their joint letter obtained by Euractiv criticised the “limited flexibility” for cooperation with external partners.
The text specifically cited concerns over “restrictive rules” regarding subcontractors and licensed production within the compromise draft.
EU ambassadors postponed Wednesday’s planned sign-off to Monday following diplomatic consultations. According to Council voting calculations, the ten countries lack sufficient votes to block EDIP under qualified majority rules. Their intervention seeks formal acknowledgment of reservations before final approval.
The coalition emphasised that excluding American and other non-European defence contractors undermines EU readiness goals.
The EU defence industry still depends on critical components, technologies and know-how from like-minded third countries, in particular transatlantic allies.
This stance challenges EDIP’s core framework, which restricts funding to EU-based contractors outside narrow exemptions for ammunition and missile manufacturers. The delay follows earlier reporting that ambassadors had largely maintained strict eligibility requirements while adding limited third-country exemptions.
