At EDA, EU Armament Directors Forge Ways to Strengthen EU Defence Industry

National Armament Directors from the European Union convened at the European Defence Agency (EDA) on 16 October for a high-level conference focused on boosting Europe's defence industry and strengthening the EU's ability to tackle threats to its security. 

Co-organised by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU and EDA, the meeting stressed speeding up joint procurement — grouping orders and buying together to save costs and time — to ensure equipment, tools, and systems work smoothly together and deliver essential equipment more quickly. 

EDA Chief Executive André Denk said: “The EU's defence industry must both expand swiftly today and innovate for tomorrow. Through cross-border partnerships, long-term commitments and strong financing, we can give industry the confidence to invest and build the capacity needed to protect EU citizens and our values.” 

National Armament Directors, who are senior officials responsible for planning and coordinating their country's defence equipment and procurement, welcomed EDA's work to help Member States cooperate. This was especially true for projects that could benefit from the EU's new Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan programme. 

Directors noted that successful joint procurement depends on long-term planning, steady investment, and close cooperation with industry to ensure reliable and scalable defence production.

Strengthening EU supply chain
The discussions also focused on the urgent need to strengthen Europe's security of supply for defence manufacturing, which is essential for operational resilience and strategic readiness. Directors also noted that relying on non-EU suppliers creates vulnerabilities and called for more diversified sourcing, as well as investment in innovation, recycling, and strategic stockpiles. 

“Effective pre-planning is key if we want to strengthen Europe's defence industrial base and make joint procurement a reality,” said Kim Jesper Jørgensen, National Armament Director at the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation.  

“By increasing the visibility of our national procurement plans and aligning requirements and timelines, we can identify real opportunities for joint acquisitions. At the same time, we need to secure access to sufficient production capacity and critical materials. Strengthening these areas will be essential to ensuring that our armed forces can sustain operations and maintain critical capabilities in times of crisis,” he added. 

Several delegates emphasised the importance of using EDA's expertise to better understand Europe's capability needs, support joint acquisitions and encourage coherent capability planning, ensuring EU countries coordinate equipment, training, and forces so they complement each other rather than overlap or leave gaps. 

Participants also welcomed EDA's work on mapping supply chains and planning for resilience, noting that it aligns with wider EU initiatives such as the Critical Raw Materials Act and the Net-Zero Industry Act. They agreed that these combined efforts are essential for strengthening Europe's defence independence and industrial resilience in a rapidly shifting and complex security environment.