The EU Council gave its final approval to a package of laws that simplifies defence procurement. The package, known as Omnibus V, aims to remove delays in procurement, permitting, reporting, and cross-border cooperation.
Omnibus V forms part of the EU’s simplification agenda. In October 2024, the European Council asked EU institutions, member states, and stakeholders to take such work forward as a priority. Since February 2025, the Commission has proposed twelve Omnibus packages. This is the fifth, focusing on defence readiness.
Irish Defence Minister Helen McEntee welcomed the 9 October vote. “The defence readiness simplification omnibus will help Europe strengthen its security by making it easier to invest in, procure and deliver the defence capabilities we need,” she said.
Three acts, one aim
The package has three legislative acts. One is a regulation on defence readiness and defence investment. One is a regulation on faster permits. The third is a directive on intra-EU transfers of defence-related products and on security and defence procurement.
“By cutting unnecessary delays and supporting closer cooperation between member states and industry, these new rules will reinforce Europe’s defence readiness in an increasingly challenging security environment,” Ms McEntee said.
Ireland holds the Council presidency. Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s minister for European affairs said the laws deliver on its goals. “The new laws adopted today will act to simplify rules on security and defence procurement, accelerate permit-granting procedures and strengthen defence readiness,” he said.
Less paperwork for defence money
The defence readiness regulation simplifies how the EU runs the European Defence Fund (EDF). It cuts the administrative requirements for applications. It also raises the funding bonus for projects that involve small and medium-sized firms. Public bodies such as the European Defence Agency can still act as central purchasing bodies.
these new rules will reinforce Europe’s defence readiness in an increasingly challenging security environment.
— Helen McEntee, Ireland’s defence minister
Background material adds more detail. Evaluations and grant signatures should become faster. Ownership-control checks will stay valid for 36 months, up from 18. Buyers can use one supplier for pre-commercial procurement, replacing mandatory multi-sourcing in research phases. EU co-financing bonuses will encourage joint orders.
The regulation also clarifies how EU environmental and chemicals law applies to defence readiness. It aims to keep a high level of protection for human health and the environment. It therefore amends the exemptions that allow defence uses of certain chemical substances.
Permits on a clock
A second regulation sets a harmonised framework for defence permits. It caps the permit-granting process at 102 working days. A request counts as approved if the competent authority has not decided by the deadline. The framework safeguards the competences of member states.
Tacit approval has limits — national law can provide derogations where there is a grave risk to human health or national security. Other background material cites a 60-day deadline for priority projects. It also points to clearer use of ‘overriding public-interest’ exemptions for defence-critical substances.
The Council describes the aim as a clearer path for member states and industry. The new rules align with broader public procurement rules where appropriate. They still take account of the specific features of the defence market.
Higher thresholds, fewer procedures
The directive raises the thresholds in the defence procurement directive. That eases the administrative burden and gives authorities more time for the major projects that matter. It also allows occasional joint procurement, adds a de minimis rule for contract modifications, and makes framework agreements more flexible.
The numbers are specific. The threshold for supply and service contracts doubles from €443,000 to €900,000. About 25 per cent of procedures move out of Directive 2009/81/EC, which governs public procurement in the fields of defence and security. That should let authorities focus on strategic, high-value projects. The threshold for works contracts rises from €5.54m to €7m.
The new laws adopted today will act to simplify rules on security and defence procurement.
— Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s minister for European affairs
The directive introduces two mandatory general transfer licences. One covers transfers between certified suppliers and certified recipients. The other covers transfers within an intra-EU industrial partnership.
Transfers, savings, and next steps
Movement times fall to one to three days, from six to seven weeks. Components for final assembly escape duplicate licensing. Member states may buy innovative products from EU-funded research without re-tendering. Framework agreements may run for up to 10 years and stay open to other member states. The Commission projects annual savings of €1.2bn—of which €710m are purely administrative—from consolidated, paper-free reporting.
The acts will appear in the EU’s official journal in the coming days. They enter into force on the twentieth day after publication.
