The European Commission is investing 500 million euros in artillery production

The European Commission has approved the allocation of €500 million to ramp up the production of ammunition. This will allow the European defense industry to increase its capacity and accelerate ammunition production to 2 million projectiles per year by the end of 2025.

This initiative entails funding for 31 carefully selected projects focused on five key areas: explosives, propellants, projectiles, rockets, and testing certification. The total budget for these projects amounts to €513 million, with €400 million provided by the EU and €113 million by Norway. Additional investments from the industry are expected to increase the overall investment in the ammunition supply chain to €1.4 billion.

The program will focus on projects that significantly increase annual production capacities: over 10,000 tons of propellant and 4,300 tons of explosives. This will not only meet the needs of European countries but also provide necessary assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

In addition to funding ammunition production, the European Commission has launched two important programs:

• The Working Program of the European Defense Industry Reinforcement Instrument through Joint Procurements (EDIRPA) with a budget of €1.4 billion.
• The Fourth Annual Work Program of the European Defense Fund (EDF) with a budget of €590 million.

These programs will foster cooperation and innovation in the European defense industry and help EU countries jointly procure necessary defense technologies.

It is important to emphasize that on March 5, the European Commission presented the first-ever European Defense Industrial Strategy at the EU level, which includes close involvement of Ukraine. This strategy demonstrates significant support for Ukraine from the EU and a commitment to assisting it in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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