EU approves first joint defense projects under €1.5B EDIDP fund

The EU has approved its first joint defense projects, allocating €1.5 billion from the European Defense Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) to fund drones, air defense, and maritime defense initiatives. This marks a significant step toward deeper European defense integration and collective procurement, though the specific projects and member state participation remain unspecified. The move signals a shift toward more coordinated European defense spending, potentially impacting transatlantic defense dynamics and the European defense industrial base.