Regulation (EU) 2023/1525 on supporting ammunition production (ASAP)

What it is

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine has marked the dramatic return of territorial conflict and high-intensity warfare on European soil. The production capacity of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) has been therefore tailored to respond primarily to limited Member States’ needs, mostly along national dividing lines, due to decades of public underinvestment. Considering the situation in Ukraine and of its pressing defence needs in particular for ammunition, the Council of 20 March 2023 agreed on a three-track approach , aiming at providing one million rounds of artillery ammunition for Ukraine in a joint effort within the next twelve months. It agreed to urgently deliver ground-to-ground and artillery ammunition to Ukraine and, if requested, missiles from existing stocks or the reprioritisation of existing orders. It further called on Member States to jointly procure ammunition and if requested missiles from the European defence industry (and Norway) in the context of an existing European Defence Agency (EDA) project or through complementary Member States-led acquisition projects, in order to refill their stocks while enabling the continuation of support to Ukraine. The European Parliament adopted a decision referring the matter back to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations on the basis of the unamended proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Act in Support of Ammunition Production. The Commission proposal received 446 votes to 67 against and 112 abstentions. Members will now begin negotiations with the Council with a view to reaching a political agreement. As a reminder, the Ammunition Production Support Action (ASAP) aims to speed up the delivery of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and to help Member States replenish their stocks. By introducing targeted measures, including funding, the action aims to strengthen the EU's production capacity and address the current shortage of ammunition and missiles and their components. It will support the supply of ammunition from Member States' existing stocks and the joint procurement of ammunition. - an instrument to financially support the reinforcement of EU industrial production capacities for the defence products concerned; - a mechanism to map, monitor and better anticipate bottlenecks in supply chains; - the introduction of a temporary regulatory framework to remedy the shortage of ammunition supplies. The proposed financial envelope for implementing the regulation for the period from the date of its entry into force to 30 June 2025 is EUR 500 million in current prices. The European Parliament adopted by 505 votes to 56, with 21 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Act in Support of Ammunition Production. As a reminder, the Act in Support of…

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