European Parliament votes to increase production of ammunition for Ukraine

On Thursday 1 June, the European Parliament supported the bill to increase the European production of ammunition and missiles.

Source: This was reported by European Pravda

Details: The European Commission introduced the bill on 3 May 2023, and in the same month MEPs agreed to launch an urgent procedure to speed up the adoption of the bill.

The head of the EP's negotiating team, Cristian Bușoi (EPP, Romania), said: "Today's decision marks a significant step forward for the security and defence of our Union, and particularly in our steadfast support of Ukraine in the face of the ongoing Russian aggression. It will boost our capacity to respond to security challenges. It is a victory for Europe and for our collective security. Parliament is now ready to negotiate with Council and we hope to reach an agreement as soon as possible."

The legislation was adopted with 446 votes to 67, with 112 abstentions. MEPs will now start negotiations with the Council of the European Union, with the aim of reaching a political agreement, which MEPs would then vote on in plenary in July.

At the same time, MEPs are working on the European Defence Industrial Reinforcement through the Common Procurement Act (EDIRPA) to support collaboration between Member States in the defence procurement phase in order to fill the most urgent and critical gaps.

In March, the Council approved a plan to provide Ukraine with a million rounds of ammunition within the next 12 months; the plan follows a three-track approach: the transfer of artillery shells from the existing stocks of EU states, joint purchases from defence companies and investments in industrial facilities.

According to the top EU diplomat, Josep Borrell, EU states have now provided Ukraine with 220,000 rounds of artillery ammunition of various calibres as well as 1300 missiles.

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