Strengthening Europe's Defence Edge together with Ukraine

The Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) of the European Economic and Social Committee will convene a debate and hearing to advance policy discussions on reinforcing EU defence industrial capacity and EU-Ukraine defence industry cooperation. The debate will directly inform the forthcoming CCMI opinion on the topic, requested as exploratory opinion by the Lithuanian Presidency. 

Strengthening the EU defence industry and innovation is a top priority for achieving Europe’s defence readiness and technological competitiveness. The European Union is aiming to increase defence production capacity, encourage joint procurement among Member States, and invest in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber defence, autonomous systems, and next-generation military equipment. Recent initiatives like AGILE, the European Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap and the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 aim to unify European defence market, improve supply-chain resilience, and fill critical capability gaps.

Enhancing our cooperation with Ukraine can be a crucial part of this strategy and contribute to long-term strategic resilience. Ukraine is emerging as a central defence‑industrial partner for Europe, shifting from aid recipient to security provider. Ukraine’s experience in the battlefield and its rapid development of defence technologies, particularly in drones and anti-drone systems, electronic warfare, and modern warfare innovations, provide invaluable expertise for European partners. By integrating Ukrainian defence companies into European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), the EU can strengthen its defence ecosystem at the same time supporting Ukraine’s long-term security policy. This cooperation contributes to a more innovative, technologically advanced, and productive European defence sector capable of responding to future defence challenges.

The hearing will focus on these two core themes:

• Building Industrial Capacity for Defence in the EU: A whole-of-society approach
• Reaping the benefits of EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Cooperation: 

This hearing will bring together high‑level representatives from EU institutions, industry, trade unions and civil‑society organisations to discuss the barriers to scaling up manufacturing capacity of critical defence equipment. It takes place at a pivotal moment for EU defence, with the industry facing fragmented procurement, slow capability delivery, insufficient industrial scale and persistent dependence on non‑EU suppliers. Participants will also explore potential solutions like joint procurement, boosting European Defence Fund programs, integrating Ukraine into the EU defence ecosystem and learning from Ukraine's battlefield innovations in terms of drone and electronic warfare, battlefield software, and rapid defence technology development. 

The hearing and the subsequent CCMI opinion will highlight how European can protect long-term strategic resilience by ensuring that Europe has a reliable source of defence equipment, more competitive and technologically advanced defence industrial base and, most importantly, is capable of responding to threats on the Eastern border effectively. The discussion will further emphasise how the EU can scale up defence production in a way that remains fully aligned with its environmental commitments and social objectives, ensuring that industrial expansion does not come at the expense of sustainability or workers’ rights. It will also highlight the importance of maintaining a strong, structured dialogue with civil society so that defence modernisation follows a whole‑of‑society approach grounded in transparency, accountability and democratic participation.