The European Council has approved five European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs), making the cross-border initiatives eligible for funding through the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP).
Approved on 28 September, the projects cover drones and counter-drone systems, maritime and seabed security, space capabilities, integrated air and missile defence, and protection of the EU’s eastern flank.
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The DronE and Counter-Drone European Resolve project, known as DECODER, is intended to support the development, production and deployment of uncrewed systems and counter-drone capabilities.
The Integrated Maritime and Seabed Defence (IMSD) project will focus on interoperable systems for detecting, deterring and responding to threats at sea and on the seabed, including to infrastructure in those domains.
A separate space project will address early-warning satellites for missile-launch detection, satellite communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, positioning and timing systems, navigation warfare, and the rapid replacement of satellites.
The EU Federated Integrated Air and Missile Defence including Early Warning (EU-FIAMD) project will seek to link participating countries’ air and missile-defence capabilities through coordinated command arrangements and early-warning systems.
Eastern Flank Watch (EFW) will cover land, air, maritime, cyber and other domains along the participating countries’ eastern border, according to the Council.
The EDIP, adopted in 2025, established the EDPCI mechanism for collaborative industrial initiatives intended to address capability requirements that individual member states may be unable to develop alone.
The selected projects can receive EDIP funding for initial deployment, with potential access to further support under the proposed European Competitiveness Fund.
Ireland Defence Minister Helen McEntee said: “These projects further demonstrate the practical cooperation between EU member states to provide for our own security. Working closely with our partners Norway and Ukraine, together we are taking decisive steps to protect space, our skies, our seas, undersea cables and our citizens who depend on them.”
The European Commission launched a call for expressions of interest in February and received nine proposals.
In July, it put forward the five projects approved by the Council, following input from the EU High Representative and the European Defence Agency.
