Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects
Date: 2025-06-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, European Commission
Subjects: European arms policy, European defence policy, European security, administrative formalities, arms industry, defence expenditure, industrial operating licence, intra-EU trade, military equipment, single market

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 17.6.2025  COM(2025) 821 final/2 2025/0172 (COD)  Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects {SWD(2025) 820 final}  
 
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

The  Russian  invasion  of  Ukraine  has  underscored  the  need  for  a  strengthened  EU-wide 
market for defence products, capable of supporting the defence readiness of Member States in 
the face of emerging security threats. The ongoing conflict has exposed vulnerabilities in the 
European defence landscape, highlighting the importance of a cohesive and resilient defence 
industrial  base.  A  well-functioning  EU  defence  market  is  essential  to  ensure  that  Member 
States have access to the necessary defence capabilities, technologies and products to respond 
effectively to current and future security challenges. 

The  impact  of  the  changing  geopolitical  landscape  on  the  EU  defence  market  has  been 
significant,  with  disruptions  to  supply  chains,  increased  demand  for  defence  products  and  a 
growing  need  for  interoperable  and  innovative  solutions.  However,  existing  legislation 
impacting  the  EU  defence  market  is  not  adapted  to  the  current  challenges,  hindering  the 
ability of Member States to respond rapidly and effectively to emerging threats. The existing 
framework, developed in peacetime, is often slow to respond to the urgent needs of Member 
States,  and  fails  to  provide  the  necessary  incentives  for  investment  in  defence  research  and 
development,  notably  to  facilitate  defence  investments  of  at  least  EUR  800bn  over  the  next 
four years, as indicated in the Joint White paper on defence readiness 1. 

In response to these challenges, the EU must take steps to strengthen the EU-wide market for 
defence  products,  promoting  a  more  integrated  and  competitive  defence  industrial  base.  By 
creating  a  more  robust,  resilient  EU  defence  market  and  developing  the  necessary 
infrastructure the EU can support the defence readiness of Member States, promote European 
strategic autonomy and contribute to a more stable and secure European security environment.  

This proposal is a part of the Defence Readiness Omnibus. In addition to the simplification of 
existing regulation contained in the other acts, this proposal sets forward the establishment of 
a dedicated fast-track procedure for permit granting related to defence readiness. 

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

The  proposal  aims  to  adapt  the  provisions  governing  the  EU-wide  defence  market  to  the 
current  security  scenario,  by  introducing  targeted  adjustments  that  simplify  administrative 
procedures, cut red tape and provide more flexible solutions. By streamlining procedures and 
reducing bureaucratic obstacles, the proposal seeks to create a more agile and responsive EU 
defence  market,  better  equipped  to  support  the  defence  readiness  of  Member  States  and 
promote the development of a competitive and innovative European defence industry. 

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

The  proposal  contributes  to  the  objectives  of  enhancing  the  EU's  defence  capabilities  and 
strengthening its strategic autonomy, while also supporting the development of innovative and 
sustainable  defence  technologies.  The  fast-track  permitting  procedure  established  by  this 
proposal  will  facilitate  the  rapid  deployment  of  defence  readiness  projects  and  expected 
defence investments of at  least  EUR 800bn over the next  four years,  ensuring that the EU's 

1 

Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030, JOIN(2025) 120 final, 19 March 2025 

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defence  industry  can  respond  quickly  to  emerging  security  challenges  and  contribute  to  the 
protection  of  European  citizens.  By  streamlining  the  permitting  process,  this  proposal  will 
also help to reduce administrative burdens and costs for defence companies, allowing them to 
focus on the delivering on the needs of the EU Member States  development of cutting-edge 
technologies and the creation of high-skilled jobs. 

The proposed measures will also contribute to the EU's resilience and strategic autonomy by 
ensuring  the  security  of  supply  of  key  defence-related  technologies,  which  is  crucial  for 
supporting the development of the EU's defence capabilities and for public order and security. 
By promoting the development of a strong and innovative defence industry, this proposal will 
help  to  reduce  the  EU's  dependence  on  third-country  suppliers  and  enhance  its  ability  to 
respond to emerging security challenges. 

The proposal is consistent with the EU policies in the fields of safety, health, environment as 
it does not lower standards but aims at accelerating  the procedures.  The proposal is without 
prejudice to the level of scrutiny foreseen by the applicable permit processes. 

2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The  legal  basis  for  this  proposal  is  Article  114  TFEU.  The  measures  proposed  in  this 
regulation  have  as  their  objective  to  preserve  the  well-functioning  of  the  internal  market, 
particularly the EU-wide Defence Market. In view of the current geopolitical context, the EU 
Member  States  need  to  rapidly  increase  their  defence  readiness.  To  do  that,  investments  in 
defence readiness will be necessary for the functioning of the EU-wide Defence Market (such 
as  manufacturing  plants,  testing  facilities,  as  well  as  the  necessary  infrastructure.).  Such 
development projects aimed at increasing the defence readiness of Member States or the EU 
require several permits to be granted. A situation in which some parts of the internal market 
foresee  a  much  shorter  permit-granting  process  would  result  in  a  serious  risk  to  the  smooth 
operation  of  the  internal  market.  This  proposal  ensures  that  the  treatment  of  the  permit-
granting process for defence readiness projects is fast and harmonized throughout the Member 
States. 

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

The  objectives  of  the  proposal  cannot  be  achieved  by  Member  States  acting  alone,  as  the 
problems  are  of  a  cross-border  nature.  The  defence  industry  is  highly  integrated  and 
interconnected,  with  companies  operating  across  multiple  Member  States  and  relying  on 
complex supply chains that transcend national borders. The proposed actions focus on areas 
where there is a demonstrable value added in acting at Union level due to the scale, speed and 
scope of the efforts needed. By establishing a fast-track permitting procedure at EU level, the 
proposal  aims  to  create  a  level  playing  field  for  defence  companies  operating  in  the  EU, 
ensuring that they can respond quickly and effectively ramp up defence industrial production. 
The  EU's  collective  defence  efforts  require  a  coordinated  approach,  and  the  proposed 
mechanism will facilitate the rapid deployment of defence readiness projects. 

A lack of coordination between Member States when it comes to the treatment of the permit-
granting process for defence readiness projects could result in a regulatory race to the bottom 
or  certain  parts  of  the  internal  market  gaining  a  competitive  advantage.  This  would  be 
undesirable  as  it  would  negatively  affect  the  security  of  supply  of  defence  products, 
potentially  compromising  the  EU's  ability  to  respond  to  emerging  security  threats.  The 

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proposed  mechanism  does  not  influence  the  factual  basis  of  the  granting  of  the  permits 
concerned but rather establishes a single point of contact in Member States and a more agile 
way  of  dealing  with  permit  applications.  This  will  enable  defence  companies  to  obtain  the 
relevant permits more efficiently, while ensuring that the necessary environmental, health and 
safety standards are upheld. 

• 

Proportionality 

The  proposal  complies  with  the  proportionality  principle  in  that  it  does  not  go  beyond  the 
minimum  required  to  achieve  the  stated  objectives  at  the  European  level  and  which  is 
necessary for that purpose. 

In  view  of  the  unprecedented  geopolitical  situation,  the  significant  threat  for  security  of  the 
Union  and  the  unprecedented  scale  of  defence  in  investments  in  the  next  four  years,  the 
proposed policy approach is proportionate to the scale and gravity of the problems that have 
been  identified.  The  proposal  is  designed  to  strengthen  the  defence  readiness  of  Member 
States via measures to ensure a smooth functioning the EU-wide defence market in face of the 
massive and urgent ramp-up of the defence production capacities. 

• 

Choice of the instrument 

The Commission proposes a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. This 
is  the  most  suitable  legal  instrument  as  only  a  Regulation,  with  its  uniform  application, 
binding nature and direct applicability, can provide the necessary degree of uniformity needed 
to facilitate the deployment of defence readiness projects. 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EX-POST 

EVALUATIONS, 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

3. 

• 

N/A 

• 

Stakeholder consultations 

The  stakeholder  consultation  process  was  comprehensive,  comprising  a  public  survey  that 
was open until  22 April 2025, as well as a series of targeted meetings with  Member States, 
relevant  business  representatives  from  the  Union  and  other  key  stakeholders.  Through  this 
consultation  process,  combined  with  the  Commission's  experience  in  implementing  the 
relevant legislation, key blockages and challenges within the EU regulatory environment were 
identified.  Based  on  valuable  input  received  and  the  Commission's  expertise,  the  proposals 
outlined  in  this  Regulation  aim  to  address  these  key  issues  and  improve  the  overall 
effectiveness of the EU regulatory framework. 

Collection and use of expertise 

• 

N/A 

• 

Impact assessment 

The European Council called in its Conclusions of 6 March 2025 called on the Commission to 
accelerate the “work on all strands to decisively ramp up Europe’s defence readiness within 
the  next  five  years”.  Furthermore,  in  the  same  conclusions  the  European  Council  expressly 
called on the Commission to rapidly follow up with simplification on security and defence. 

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Due to the urgent nature of the proposal, which is designed to support the rapid adaptation of 
the European defence industry to the new geopolitical environment and aid a country at war 
as of the beginning of 2023, it was not possible to deliver an impact assessment prior to the 
adoption  of  the  Defence  Readiness  Omnibus.  Within  3  months  after  the  adoption  of  this 
proposal  the  Commission  will  present  a  Staff  Working  document  to  justify  in  detail  this 
legislative action and explain its appropriateness to achieve the identified policy objectives in 
accordance with the relevant Better Regulation rules. 

The  proposal  concerns  limited  and  targeted  changes  of  legislation.  They  are  based  on 
experience from implementing legislation. The changes do not have significant impact on the 
policy  but  only  ensure  a  more  efficient  and  effective  implementation.  Their  targeted  nature 
and the lack of relevant  policy options make an impact assessment not necessary. However, 
the attached Communication looks at elements on the impact of such measures, including the 
analysis of results of an EU public survey undertaken in this context. 

• 

Regulatory fitness and simplification 

The  proposal  to  establish  a  single  point  of  contact  for  permit-related  proceedings  for  the 
defence  sector,  along  with  a  fast-track  permitting  procedure,  is  expected  to  have  a  positive 
impact on minimizing compliance costs for SMEs, large companies and other stakeholders in 
the defence sector. By establishing a single point of contact in Member States, companies will 
no  longer  need  to  navigate  multiple  authorities  and  administrative  bodies  to  obtain  permits, 
reducing  the  time  and  resources  spent  on  administrative  tasks.  This  simplification  of 
administrative procedures will significantly reduce uncertainty, providing defence companies 
with  greater  certainty  and  predictability,  allowing  them  to  plan  their  defence  readiness 
activities with more confidence. 

The fast-track procedure, which presumes a permit was granted if no reply is received by the 
set deadline, will also accelerate the permit issuance process, enabling defence companies to 
start  their  projects  sooner,  reducing  delays  and  minimizing  the  associated  costs.  This 
streamlined process  will enhance the  competitiveness  of the EU defence sector, particularly 
for  SMEs,  which  will  be  able  to  respond  more  quickly  to  changing  market  conditions  and 
customer needs. A more efficient and predictable permit issuance process will make the EU 
defence  sector  more  attractive  to  investors,  both  domestic  and  foreign,  which  could  lead  to 
increased investment and growth in the sector. 

 This will facilitate trade in the defence sector, particularly for SMEs, which will be able to 
export  their  products  and  services  more  easily,  contributing  to  the  growth  of  international 
trade.  The  establishment  of  a  single  point  of  contact  and  a  fast-track  procedure  will  also 
facilitate  cooperation  between  EU  defence  companies  and  their  international  partners, 
promoting  the  development  of  joint  projects  and  collaborations,  while  ensuring  compliance 
with international agreements and proportionate requirements to minimize the administrative 
burden on SMEs and other stakeholders. 

Fundamental rights 

• 

N/A 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

Upon  request  by  a  Member  State,  assistance  for  capacity-building  in  support  of  the 
establishment or the operation of a single contact point will be eligible for funding under the 
European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) when adopted and within the agreed envelope 

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of the programme. The capacity-building support under this proposal falls within the scope of 
support  actions  under  EDIP.  Due  to  the  limited  budgetary  implications,  no  legislative 
financial statement will be prepared. 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

5. 

• 

N/A 

• 

Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal 

This  Regulation  sets  up  streamlined  permitting  processes  for  defence  readiness 
projects. All defence readiness projects will benefit from Member States designating 
a  national  competent  authority  acting  as  a  single  point  of  contact,  in  charge  of 
coordination and facilitation of permitting, guiding economic operators, ensuring that 
information is publicly accessible and that all documents can be digitally submitted. 
The  Regulation  sets  detailed  timelines  for  permitting  procedures.  The  proposal  is 
consistent with Union legislation on permitting. 

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2025/0172 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 114 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee2, 

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

2 
3 
4 

The  Union  is  facing  an  acute  and  growing  threat,  as  underscored  in  the  Joint  White 
Paper on European Defence Readiness 20303, linked to the return of full-scale conflict 
in Europe. In response to this escalating challenge, it is imperative that the Union takes 
decisive action to bolster its defence readiness. There is urgency to ramp up European 
defence readiness to ensure that Europe has a strong and sufficient European defence 
posture  by  2030  at  the  latest.  Based  on  projections  of  gradual  take-up  of  the 
instruments  proposed  under  the  ReArm  Europe  Plan/Readiness  2030,  defence 
investment could reach at least EUR 800bn over the next four years. A crucial aspect 
of this effort is the need to ramp up the Union's defence production capacity, enabling 
it  to  respond  effectively  to  emerging  security  threats.  In  order  to  achieve  that  goal, 
regulatory  simplification  and  harmonisation  are  essential.  By  streamlining  and 
aligning regulatory frameworks, the Union can create a more conducive environment 
for  defence  industries  to  operate,  innovate,  and  produce  the  necessary  capabilities  to 
ensure European security and defence readiness. 

In this context, defence readiness should be understood as the ability of Member States 
to anticipate, prevent, and respond to defence related crises, as referred to in Directive 
2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council4 through a proactive and 
coordinated  approach.  This  includes  ensuring  the  availability  of  defence  industrial 
capacity  required  to  acquire  and  maintain  the  necessary  resources,  capabilities,  and 
infrastructure with the aim of responding effectively to such crises. 

Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030, JOIN(2025) 120 final, 19 March 2025. 
Directive  2009/81/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  13  July  2009  on  the 
coordination  of  procedures  for  the  award  of  certain  works  contracts,  supply  contracts  and  service 
contracts  by  contracting  authorities  or  entities  in  the  fields  of  defence  and  security,  and  amending 
76,  ELI: 
2004/17/EC 
Directives 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/81/oj). 

2004/18/EC 

20.8.2009, 

(OJ  L 

216, 

and 

p. 

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(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

Setting  up  or  extending  facilities,  infrastructure  and  undertaking  activities  related  to 
defence readiness often requires applying for several  relevant permits and approvals. 
Existing  permitting  processes  for  assessments  across  various  areas  are  often  lengthy 
and  cumbersome.  Those  procedures  currently  lack  Union-wide  provisions  for  fast-
track processes specific to defence readiness activities, which impedes the ramp-up of 
defence production and related infrastructure in a timely manner and defence readiness 
activities and investments that are crucial for meeting emerging security demands. 

The national permit-granting process ensures that defence readiness projects are safe, 
secure  and  comply  with  environmental,  social  and  other  safety  requirements.  Union 
environmental  law  sets  common  conditions  for  the  content  of  the  national  permit-
granting  process,  thereby  ensuring  a  high  level  of  environmental  protection  and 
allowing  for  the  sustainable  exploitation  of  the  Union’s  potential  along  the  raw 
materials value chain. 

At  the  same  time,  the  unpredictability,  complexity  and,  often,  excessive  length  of 
national  permit-granting  processes  undermine  the  investment  security  needed  for  the 
effective strengthening of Member States defence readiness. The structure and length 
of  a  permit-granting  process  for  relevant  projects  can  also  differ  greatly  between 
Member  States.  Therefore,  to  ensure  and  speed  up  their  effective  implementation, 
Member States should apply streamlined and predictable permit-granting processes to 
defence readiness projects. 

(6)  While certain  Member States have taken or  are likely to  take measures to  accelerate 
the  permission-granting  processes  for  the  defence  industry,  this  may  be  done  in 
diverging ways which would result in barriers to the functioning of the internal market 
in  the  defence  sector.  Divergent  national  legislation,  regarding  the  planning  permit-
granting process of defence projects have proven to become bottlenecks for European 
relevant  defence  products  supply  chains.  To  ensure  the  functioning  of  the  internal 
market, it is necessary to establish harmonised rules for the acceleration of the permit-
granting processes. 

(7)  While Union institutions can provide guidance and frameworks, the responsibility for 
authorisation  and  facilitating  fast-track  permitting  processes  resides  primarily  with 
Member States. Member States are best positioned to implement changes that cater to 
their specific administrative and regulatory landscapes. 

(8) 

(9) 

There is a pressing need to reduce the complexity and duration of permitting processes 
for  defence  readiness  projects.  By  establishing  national  permitting  frameworks  that 
prioritise these projects and ensure their rapid processing, the Union aims to enhance 
its defence production capacity and readiness by 2030 at the latest. 

In  order  to  address  these  challenges,  the  defence  industry  should  benefit  of  rules 
proven  to  be  effective  in  streamlining  industrial  permitting  processes.  Aiming  to 
reduce  permitting  deadlines  for  defence  industry  activities,  including  construction  of 
new plants and related infrastructure, expansion of existing facilities, establishment of 
testing  sites,  training  and  certifying  while  also  building  on  and  broadening  existing 
applicable provisions. 

(10)  Complying  with  Union  law,  including  for  instance  in  relation  to  water,  waste 
management,  air,  ecosystems,  habitats,  archaeological,  biodiversity  and  birds’ 
protection,  are  integral  part  of  the  permit  granting  procedure,  also  for  the  defence 
sector. Such rules are an essential safeguard to ensure negative impacts are prevented 
or  minimised.  However,  to  ensure  that  permit  granting  procedures  for  defence 

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readiness projects are predictable and timely, any potential to streamline the required 
assessments  and  authorisations  while  not  lowering  the  level  of,  for  instance, 
environmental protection, should be realised. In that regard, it should be ensured that 
the necessary assessments are bundled to prevent unnecessary overlap. 

(11)  To  facilitate  the  efficient  and  timely  processing  of  administrative  permitting 
applications  related  to  defence  readiness  activities  and  the  scaling  up  of  defence 
production,  Member  States  need  to  ensure  that  the  competent  national  authorities 
implement fast-track procedures. Those authorities should provide the most rapid legal 
treatment possible for such applications, thereby enabling timely responses to defence 
readiness needs. 

(12)  Establishing  a  single  point  of  contact  for  industry  applications  regarding  permits 
related  to  defence  activities  is  intended  to  streamline  communication,  reduce 
administrative  burdens  and  further  expedite  the  permitting  process  with  clear  and 
legally  binding  deadlines,  thereby  providing  efficient  pathway  for  defence-related 
industrial applications. Moreover, it will provide certainty to investors by ensuring the 
rapid treatment of permit applications and limiting the risks to investments related to 
lengthy procedures.  

(13)  To  accelerate  reaching  full  operational  capacity  of  the  single  contact  points  Member 
States should, to the extent possible, take advantage of possible complementarity with 
existing  single  contact  points,  for  example  those  established  under  Regulation  (EU) 
2024/1735  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council5  or  Regulation  (EU) 
2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council6. 

(14)  Furthermore,  Member  States  should  provide  the  necessary  administrative  support  to 
defence  readiness  projects  located  on  their  territory,  to  facilitate  their  timely  and 
effective  implementation,  paying  particular  attention  to  the  needs  of  small  and 
medium-sized  enterprises  and  mid-cap  enterprises  involved  in  those  projects,  by 
providing  assistance  regarding  compliance  with  applicable  administrative  and 
reporting obligations, informing the public to increase acceptance of the projects and 
guiding project promoters through the permit-granting process. 

(15)  The  Commission  may  offer  capacity-building  support  to  the  single  point  of  contact, 
including  technical  assistance,  training,  monitoring  and  evaluation,  with  the  aim  of 
developing  and  strengthening  the  abilities,  processes  and  resources  that  the  single 
points of contacts  need to develop  for the purposes  of this Regulation. Such support 
may  be  requested  by  Member  States  and  will  fall  within  the  scope  of  supporting 
actions under the European Defence Industry Programme [reference to be added once 
EDIP is adopted].  

(16) 

In order to ensure clarity about the permitting status of defence readiness projects and 
to  limit  the  effectiveness  of  potential  abusive  litigation,  while  not  undermining 
effective judicial review, Member States should ensure that any dispute concerning the 

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Regulation  (EU)  2024/1735  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  13  June  2024  on 
establishing  a  framework  of  measures  for  strengthening  Europe’s  net-zero  technology  manufacturing 
ecosystem  and  amending  Regulation  (EU)  2018/1724  (Text  with  EEA  relevance)  (OJ  L,  2024/1735, 
28.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1735/oj). 
Regulation  (EU)  2024/1252  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11  April  2024 
establishing  a  framework  for  ensuring  a  secure  and  sustainable  supply  of  critical  raw  materials  and 
amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 (OJ L, 
2024/1252, 3.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/oj). 

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permit-granting process for defence readiness projects is resolved in a timely manner. 
To that end, Member States should ensure that project promoters have access to simple 
dispute settlement procedures and that defence readiness projects are subject to urgent 
handling in all administrative, judicial and dispute resolution procedures relating to the 
projects to the extent that national law provides for such urgency procedures. 

(17) 

In order to provide project promoters and other investors with the security and clarity 
needed to increase development of defence readiness projects, Member States should 
ensure  that  the  permit-granting  process  related  to  such  projects  does  not  exceed  set 
time limits. 

(18)  This Regulation is without prejudice to the obligations deriving from international law, 

where relevant. 

(19)  Since the objective of this Regulation cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member 
States and can rather, by reason of the scale or effects of the action, be better achieved 
at  Union  level,  the  Union  may  adopt  measures  in  accordance  with  the  principle  of 
subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on the European Union. In accordance 
with the principle of proportionality as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not 
go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective, 

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply: 

Article 1 
Definitions 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

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8 

‘defence readiness project’ means set of activities, investments and measures aimed at 
enhancing  the  defence  readiness  of  a  Member  State  or  several  Member  States, 
including through the development of the defence industry; 

‘defence  industry’  means  all  undertakings  engaged  in  the  development,  production, 
and  manufacture  of  defence-related  products  as  defined  in  Article  3(1)  of  Directive 
2009/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council7; 

‘defence  readiness’  means  the  state  of  preparedness  of  a  Member  State  or  several 
Member  States  to  respond  to  a  crisis  defined  in  Article  1,  point  (10)  of  Directive 
2009/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council8, which relates to defence; 

‘middle capitalisation company’ or ‘mid-cap’ means middle capitalisation company as 
defined  in  Article  2,  point  (15),  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/697  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council9; 

Directive 2009/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 simplifying terms 
and conditions of transfers of defence-related products within the Community (OJ L 146, 10.6.2009, p. 
1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/43/oj). 
Directive  2009/81/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  13  July  2009  on  the 
coordination  of  procedures  for  the  award  of  certain  works  contracts,  supply  contracts  and  service 
contracts  by  contracting  authorities  or  entities  in  the  fields  of  defence  and  security,  and  amending 
76,  ELI: 
2004/17/EC 
Directives 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/81/oj). 

2004/18/EC 

20.8.2009, 

(OJ  L 

216, 

and 

p. 

EN 

9 

  EN 

 
 
 
(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

‘small mid-cap enterprises’ means enterprises as defined in the Annex to Commission 
Recommendation (EU) 2025/109910 

‘permit-granting  process’  means  a  process  that  covers  all  relevant  permits,  including 
permits necessary to build, expand, convert and operate defence readiness projects and 
all the necessary administrative steps from the acknowledgement that the application 
is  complete  to  the  notification  of  the  final  decision  on  that  application  by  the  single 
contact point concerned; 

‘project promoter’ means any undertaking or consortium of undertakings developing a 
defence readiness project; 

‘small  and  medium-sized  enterprises’  or  ‘SMEs’  means  small  and  medium-sized 
enterprises  as  defined  in  Article 2  of  the  Annex  to  Commission  Recommendation 
2003/361/EC11. 

Article 2 
Single point of contact 

1.  By …[3 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation], each Member State 
shall  establish  or  designate  one  authority  as  single  point  of  contact  at  the  relevant 
administrative level. 

2.  The  single  point  of  contact  shall  be  responsible  for  facilitating  and  coordinating  the 
permit-granting process for defence readiness projects and for providing information on 
streamlining  the  administrative  processes  in  accordance  with  Article  3,  including 
information  to  the  project  promoter  on  when  an  application  is  considered  to  be 
completed in accordance with Article 5(6). 

3.  The single point of contact established or designated pursuant to paragraph 1 shall be the 
sole point of contact for the project promoter in the permit-granting process for a defence 
readiness project. It shall notify the project promoter of the final decision in that process. 

4.  Project  promoters  shall  be  allowed  to  submit  any  documents  relevant  to  the  permit-

granting process in electronic form. 

5.  The competent authorities shall ensure that any relevant studies carried out, or permits or 
authorisations  issued,  for  a  given  project  are  taken  into  account  and  that  no  duplicate 
studies, permits or authorisations are required, unless otherwise required under Union or 
national law. 

6.  Member States shall ensure that the single point of contact and all competent authorities 
responsible  for  any  step  along  the  permit-granting  processes,  including  all  procedural 
steps,  have  enough  qualified  staff  and  sufficient  financial,  technical  and  technological 
resources necessary, including, where appropriate, for up- skilling and re-skilling, for the 
effective performance of their tasks under this Regulation. 

9 

10 

11 

Regulation (EU) 2021/697 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing 
the  European  Defence  Fund and repealing  Regulation  (EU)  2018/1092  (OJ  L  170,  12.5.2021,  p.  149, 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/697/oj). 
Commission  Recommendation  (EU)  2025/1099  of  21  May  2025  on  the  definition  of  small  mid-cap 
enterprises (OJ L, 2025/1099, 28.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2025/1099/oj ). 
Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro,  small 
ELI: 
and 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2003/361/oj). 

medium-sized 

enterprises 

20.5.2003, 

L 124, 

p. 36, 

(OJ 

EN 

10 

  EN 

 
 
7.  The authorities involved in the permit-granting process  and other authorities concerned 
shall  specify  and  make  available  to  the  single  point  of  contact  concerned,  the 
requirements  and  all  information  requested  of  a  project  promoter  before  the  permit-
granting process commences. 

8.  Upon  request  by  a  Member  State,  the  Commission  may  assist  the  authorities  of  that 
Member  State  with  capacity  building  in  support  of  implementation  of  this  Regulation, 
notably in establishing or operating a single point of contact. 

Article 3 
Online accessibility of information 

Member  States  shall  provide  public  access  to  the  following  information  on  permit-granting 
processes  relevant  to  defence  readiness  projects,  online  and  in  a  centralised  and  easily 
accessible manner: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

the single points of contact referred to in Article 2(1); 

the  permit-granting  process,  including  information  on  dispute  settlement 
concerning the permit-granting process including, where applicable, alternative 
dispute resolution mechanisms, if such procedures are provided for by national 
law; 

financing and investment services; 

funding possibilities at Union or Member State level; 

business  support  services,  including  but  not  limited  to  corporate  tax 
declaration, local tax laws or labour law. 

Article 4 
Accelerating implementation 

Member States shall provide administrative support for defence readiness projects located on 
their  territory,  paying  particular  attention  to  SMEs  and  mid-caps,  including  small  mid-cap 
enterprises, involved in those projects, including by providing: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

assistance  regarding  compliance  with  applicable  administrative  and  reporting 
obligations; 

assistance to project promoters to inform the public; 

assistance to project promoters along the permit-granting process, in particular 
for SMEs and small mid-cap enterprises. 

Article 5 
Duration of the permit-granting process 

1.  The permit-granting process for defence readiness projects, including the granting of the 

relevant permit, shall not exceed [60] days.  

2.  Where a defence readiness project requires the construction of several facilities or units 
in one site, the project promoter and the single point of contact may agree on splitting the 
project  into  several  smaller  projects  for  the  purposes  of  complying  with  the  applicable 
time limits. 

3. 

In  exceptional  cases,  where  the  nature,  complexity,  location  or  size  of  the  proposed 
defence readiness project  so requires,  a Member  State may once  extend the time limits 

EN 

11 

  EN 

 
referred to in paragraph 1 by a maximum of 30 days before their expiry and on a case-
by-case basis. 

4.  Where  a Member  State  considers  that  the  defence  readiness  project  raises  exceptional 
risks  for  the  health  and  safety  of  workers  or  of  the  general  population,  and  where 
additional time is necessary to establish that measures to address identifiable risks have 
been put  in  place, it may extend the time limits  referred to  in  paragraph  1 by  60 days, 
within 30 days of the start of the permit-granting process. 

5. 

In the application of paragraph 3 or 4, the single point of contact shall inform the project 
promoter  in  writing  of  the  reasons  for  the  extension  and  of  the  date  when  the  final 
decision is expected. 

6.  No later than 15 days from the receipt of the permit-granting application, the single point 
of contact concerned shall acknowledge that the application is complete and whether this 
Regulation applies or, if the project promoter has not sent all the information required to 
process  the  application,  request  the  project  promoter  to  submit  a  complete  application 
without  undue  delay,  specifying  which  information  is  missing.  If  the  submitted 
application  is  deemed  to  be  incomplete  for  a  second  time,  the  single  point  of  contact 
may, within [15] days of the second submission, make a second request for information. 
The single point of contact shall not request information in areas not covered in the first 
request for information and shall be entitled only to request further evidence to complete 
the 
the 
completeness of the application from the single point of contact shall serve as the start of 
the permit-granting process for that application. 

information.  The  date  of 

the  acknowledgement  of 

identified  missing 

7.  The  time  limits  set  in  this  Article  for  any  of  the  permit-granting  processes  shall  be 

without prejudice to any shorter time limits set by Member States 

8.  Where the single point of contact does not inform the project promoter of the outcome of 
the  permit-granting  process  within  the  time  limit  set  out  in  paragraph  1  and  extended, 
where  applicable,  in  accordance  with  paragraphs  3  and  4,  the  permits  covered  by  the 
application  shall  be  deemed  to  be  granted.  The  single  point  of  contact  shall  promptly 
deliver  written  confirmation  to  the  project  promoter,  indicating  that  the  permits  have 
been implicitly granted based on the application submitted. 

Article 6 
Planning 

1.  National, regional and local authorities responsible for preparing plans, including zoning, 
spatial  plans  and  land  use  plans,  shall  include  in  such  plans,  where  appropriate, 
provisions  for  the  development  of  defence  readiness  activities,  projects  as  well  as  the 
necessary  infrastructure.  To  facilitate  the  development  of  defence  readiness  projects, 
Member States  shall ensure that all relevant  spatial  planning data is  available online in 
accordance with Article 3. 

2.  Where plans include provisions for the development  of defence readiness projects,  and 
their  required  infrastructure,  and  are  subject  to  an  assessment  pursuant  to  Directive 
2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council12 and pursuant to Article 6 of 

12 

Directive  2001/42/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  27  June  2001  on  the 
assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (OJ L 197, 21.7.2001, p. 
30, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2001/42/oj). 

EN 

12 

  EN 

 
 
Council Directive 92/43/EEC13, those assessments shall be combined. Where applicable, 
the  combined  assessment  shall  also  address  the  impact  on  potentially  affected  water 
bodies  referred  to  in  Directive  2000/60/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council14.  Where  relevant,  the  Member  States  are  required  to  assess  the  impacts  of 
existing and future activities on the marine environment, including land-sea interactions, 
as referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the 
Council15 those impacts shall also be covered in the combined assessment. The fact that 
assessments  are  combined  pursuant  to  this  paragraph  shall  not  affect  their  content  or 
quality.  The  combined assessment shall be carried out  within the time limits  set  out  in 
this Regulation. 

Article 7  
Priority status of defence readiness projects 

All  dispute  resolution  procedures,  litigation,  appeals  and  judicial  remedies  as  well  as  all 
administrative  proceedings  related  to  defence  readiness  projects  before  any  national  courts, 
tribunals, bodies or panels, including with regard to mediation or arbitration, where they exist 
in national law, shall be treated as urgent if and to the extent to which national law concerning 
relevant  permit-granting  processes  provides  for  such  urgency  procedures  and  provided  that 
the applicable rights of defence of individuals or of local communities are respected. Project 
promoters of defence  readiness projects  shall participate in  such urgency procedures, where 
applicable.  

Article 8 
Applicability of UNECE Conventions 

This  Regulation  is  without  prejudice,  where  relevant,  to  the  obligations  under  the  United 
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, 
Public  Participation  in  Decision-making  and  Access  to  Justice  in  Environmental  Matters, 
signed  at  Aarhus  on  25 June  1998,  and  under  the  UNECE  Convention  on  environmental 
impact  assessment  in  a transboundary  context,  signed  at  Espoo  on  25 February  1991  and  its 
Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment, signed in Kyiv on 21 May 2003. 

Article 9 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 

It  shall  apply  only  to  permit  applications  for  defence  readiness  projects  submitted  after  that 
date. 

13 

14 

15 

Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna 
and flora (OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1992/43/oj). 
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a 
framework  for  Community  action  in  the  field  of  water  policy  (OJ  L  327,  22.12.2000,  p.  1,  ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2000/60/oj). 
Directive  2014/89/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23  July  2014  establishing  a 
135,  ELI: 
spatial 
framework 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/89/oj). 

for  maritime 

28.8.2014, 

planning 

(OJ  L 

257, 

p. 

EN 

13 

  EN 

 
 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Strasbourg, 

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

EN 

14 

  EN