On Tuesday, June 17th, the European Union’s Commission unveiled their new proposals aimed at reducing bureaucratic burdens in the defense sector, as the bloc accelerates its efforts to rearm the Old Continent.
“With this package, we are putting forward ambitious proposals to cut red tape,” said EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius. “The only way to ensure European peace is to make sure we are ready to defend ourselves credibly and quickly.”
The proposed legislation dubbed Simplification Omnibus seeks to drastically reduce the approval time for defense-related permits to just 60 days from the current wait times, which are usually several years. In addition to speeding up approvals, the EU plans to make defense firms’ access to funding easier.
A senior EU official offered an example: “It can take up to three years or four years” for an ammunition testing facility to secure permits due to overlapping environmental and safety regulations. Under the new law, authorities in member states “will have 60 days to react,” after which silence will be considered consent.
