Article from the Handelsblatt Journal Security and Defense
For more than two decades, it has shaped military capability development within the EU: it organizes joint training, coordinates joint research and innovation, harmonizes procedures and processes, aligns capability planning, prepares joint procurement projects and supports member states on the path to interoperable military equipment.
The agency was founded 21 years ago and received its mandate in the 2003 EU Treaty. The mission defined therein remains the EDA's framework for action: supporting the 27 EU defense ministries as an intergovernmental agency, a cooperation platform, and an advocate for the 27 in Brussels. The 27 EU member states own the agency, finance its work, and meet twice a year at the level of defense ministers in the Steering Committee to determine its strategic direction. In addition, the national directors of armaments, capabilities, and research and innovation meet regularly under the agency's auspices. They determine the direction and tasks of the organization within their respective areas of focus.
What is it about? Essentially, the agency serves as a trusted platform for cooperation. It supports EU member states – 23 of which are also NATO allies – in achieving their NATO and national capability goals. Partner states such as Norway, Switzerland, the USA, and Ukraine are associated through special agreements and thus contribute to expanding European defense cooperation.
Five core tasks, five new priorities
Only last year did the member states agree on five key tasks that clearly define the agency's mandate.
- First, we help you to, Setting priorities: We identify which military capabilities Europe needs and where priorities should be set.
- Secondly, we promote Collaboration in research, technology and innovation – an area that is developing faster than ever before.
- Thirdly, we support the joint skills development, so that concepts become real military capabilities.
- Fourth We identify requirements and bundle needs, to pave the way for joint procurement.
- And finally, we are Spokesperson for the defense ministries when introducing military positions in predominantly civilian-oriented EU programs, such as the enforcement of military needs in the digital transformation of European airspace or EU customs regulations for military transport.
Cooperation is not just a buzzword for us, but very practical, concrete work. One example is the nine priority capability areas derived from the White Paper on European Defence Readiness 2030. These range from integrated air and missile defense to artillery systems. For each of these areas, there are lead nations responsible for implementation, which receive organizational and technical support from the EDA, as well as access to existing programs.
Another example is our „Government-to-Government Platform,“ implemented in June 2025. It provides all EU Member States with a comprehensive overview of more than 400 existing procurement projects and contracts negotiated by individual states and now made available to other partners – a number that grows weekly. The platform has established itself as a key instrument for identifying joint procurement initiatives and will soon also include research and development projects.
Innovation is another essential component in fulfilling our mission. The „Hub for European Defence Innovation” (HEDI) has become the central driving force for new ideas in the field of defence – its activities range from innovation prizes and hackathons to major events such as this year’s „European Defence Innovation Days” in Krakow with over 1,000 participants.
Within the framework of joint testing campaigns with realistic scenarios – for example, on airborne and ground-based unmanned systems for logistics and reconnaissance – the EDA supports, as in Rome in July 2025, the transformation of promising concepts into concrete, operationally ready military capabilities. The EU's "Brave Tech" initiative also serves as an example: a program with a total volume of €100 million, financed equally by the EU and Ukraine, which aims to match Ukrainian operational needs with European innovation solutions. Here, we offer European solutions to Ukrainian challenges.
Capability development also benefits from close cooperation. A recent example is the joint initiative on loitering munitions, in which 18 EU member states signed a Letter of Intent, a political declaration of intent to strengthen cooperation. Since then, we have supported the process of defining this capability, harmonizing different national capability requirements, aggregating needs, assessing European industry, and developing a sound business case for potential joint procurement. Joint Action! – yet another demonstration of what is possible when states join forces.
Looking ahead, Europe's heads of state and government decided at the European Council meeting in October 2025 to strengthen the Agency. An agency fit for purpose! The proposals we have since submitted focus on five areas: strengthening our role in research and innovation; expanding our support for joint capability development; improving joint procurement; reviewing our internal structures and resources; and deepening cooperation with partners, including new partners such as Canada.
As we take these next steps, our core mission remains unchanged: We support our Member States in cooperating more efficiently and effectively, thereby significantly strengthening the collective security of the European Union. After more than two decades, this founding principle of the EDA continues to guide its actions – and, given the current challenges, is more relevant than ever.
