Parliament decided on Tuesday to urgently deal with a draft bill to increase European production of ammunition and missiles.
MEPs agreed with 518 votes in favour to 59 against and 31 abstentions to trigger the urgent procedure to swiftly proceed with the legislative proposal on the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), tabled by the European Commission on 3 May.
Parliament will appoint a negotiating team and proceed with the plenary vote on the bill during the next plenary session, to be held on 31 May-1 June in Brussels. MEPs will then start negotiations with Council, with the aim of reaching a political agreement, which MEPs would then vote on in plenary in July.
MEPs held a debate with Commissioner Thierry Breton on the draft legislation on Monday.
The Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) aims to urgently deliver ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and to help member states refill their stocks. By introducing targeted measures including €500 million in financing, the Act aims to ramp up the EU’s production capacity and address the current shortage of ammunition, missiles and their components. More information is available in the Commission’s press release.
In parallel, MEPs are working on European Defence Industrial Reinforcement through the common Procurement Act (EDIRPA), to support collaboration between member states in the procurement phase to fill the most urgent and critical gaps.
