Access to finance

Making the European defence technological and industrial base fit for the new strategic environment is a long-term endeavour and will require commensurate financial resources. It is therefore crucial to ensure enduring defence investment at national and EU level. Logically this must also mean considerably increasing the budget-line for security and defence in EU Multiannual Financial Frameworks.

Equally important is the facilitation of defence companies’ access to private finance. To achieve this objective, the EU and Member States should take political and regulatory measures that ensure the shift to sustainable finance does not negatively impact defence companies. There is no sustainability without security, and no security without the defence industry.

Due to the rise of hybrid warfare, it is also essential that the civilian security industries be considered in a comprehensive EU security industrial policy. The high-end security sector should be treated as an integral part of the Aerospace & Defence ecosystem and benefit from adequate financing – both in terms of resources and funding mechanisms