ASD organises European Defence and Security Summit

As last year, ASD will be organising a European Defence and Security Summit in Brussels on 17 April together with European Business Summits (EBS). Agenda and speakers list are work in progress, we keep you informed.

To event website

Defence industrial roundtable initiated and hosted by Charles Michel

On 11 March, ASD Secretary General Jan Pie, together with 9 CEOs from industry – both ASD and non-ASD members – participated in a meeting initiated and hosted by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. The objective of the meeting was to directly inform Mr Michel and his team about the industrial views on what is needed to achieve the wanted ramp up of the EDTIB. 

To the ASD Social Media Post

19-21 March: Airspace World 2024 in Geneva, ASD’s Vanessa Rullier-Francaud on a panel

CANSO organises the world’s largest airspace and near-space management event in Geneva. ASD Senior Manager ATM & New Technologies, Vanessa Rullier-Francaud, will be a speaker at a panel on cybersecurity in aviation. From 2025 and beyond, Airspace World will take place in Lisbon.

To the event & panel website

EU policies & legislation

21-22 March: European Council Summit in Brussels
EU Heads of State and Government meet to discuss among others defence and security, in particular the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) presented last week. Leaked draft conclusions of next week’s Summit indicate a commitment to substantially increased defence expenditure and a better access to finance for the defence industry. In the run-up to the summit, ASD is hosting a series of media interviews on EDIS.

To Draft Conclusions

Commission publishes EDF & EDIRPA 2024 work programmes; 31 projects selected for ASAP
The Commission announced today the 2024 work programme of the European Defence Fund. With a budget of €1.1 billion, it covers 17 areas.
With a total budget of €310 million, the EDIRPA Work Programme will support common procurement in three areas: Ammunition, Air and missile defence, and Platforms and replacement of legacy systems. 
Finally, the Commission completed the evaluation under the ASAP Regulation and selected 31 projects which cover five areas: explosives, powder, shells, missiles, and testing and reconditioning certification.

More details

Reading recommendations

NATO Secretary General Annual Report & public perception study on defence
Yesterday, NATO presented its annual Secretary General Annual Report for 2023 and a perception study on security, defence and NATO (conducted in all now 32 NATO member states, including Sweden). The poll shows public support for increased defence spending, it has risen to 40 per cent in 2023 from 35 per cent in 2022.

To the perception study

Josep Borrell: Time to strengthen European defence industry
Following the publication of the European Defence Industrial strategy last week, the EU’s High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy reiterated the need for a strong European defence industry in a blog article. 

To the article

SIPRI five-year analysis of global arms transfers updated 
New SIPRI figures lay bare Europe’s increasing reliance on imports from the U.S., with 55 percent of deliveries coming from across the Atlantic in the last five years (2019-2023), compared with 35 percent in the period before that.

To the analysis

Carnegie Analysis: Understanding the EU’s New Defense Industrial Strategy
Sophia Besch writes that the timing for ambitious EU defence plans has never been better but without long-term funding, the strategy will fail.

To the paper

Centre for European Reform Analysis: EU’s defence ambitions are for the long term
CER’s Luigi Scazzieri argues that the Commission’s new proposals to strengthen Europe’s defence industry will be hamstrung by limited funding and member-states’ doubts but in the long term, the EU’s role in defence will probably grow.

To the paper