Defence readiness and facilitating defence investments and conditions for defence industry (Omnibus V)

It affects Member States, defence manufacturers, defence supply chains, SMEs and mid-caps in the defence sector, and users of chemicals or biocidal products for defence purposes.

• Broadens national defence exemptions under REACH, CLP and biocidal products rules.
• Requires defence readiness to be considered in EU work on persistent organic pollutant restrictions.
• Allows Member States to withhold sensitive pollutant-reporting information for defence or security reasons.
• Simplifies European Defence Fund rules, including awards, indirect management, testing abroad and access rights.

Takes effect

It enters into force on the twentieth day following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Transitional law

EDF rules on testing outside EU territory and funding rates apply retroactively from 1 January 2025.

• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (32006R1907)
  • art. 2(3): replaces paragraph 3 on Member State defence exemptions
• Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (32008R1272)
  • art. 1(4): replaces paragraph 4 on defence exemptions
• Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 (32012R0528)
  • art. 2(8): replaces paragraph 8 on defence exemptions for biocidal products
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 (32019R1021)
  • art. 2: adds point 14 defining defence readiness
  • art. 3: inserts paragraph 4a on considering defence readiness in risk management evaluation
  • art. 13(1): adds second subparagraph allowing reporting exemptions for sensitive defence information
• Regulation (EU) 2021/697 (32021R0697)
  • art. 2: inserts point 6a defining cross-border SMEs
  • art. 4: adds paragraph 6 on multiannual budgetary commitments
  • art. 8(2): deletes the second sentence
  • art. 9(2): inserts second subparagraph derogating for testing infrastructure outside Member States or associated countries
  • art. 11(1): replaces second subparagraph on Union funding without calls for proposals
  • art. 12: replaces Article 12 on award criteria
  • art. 13(2): replaces paragraph 2 on Fund support limits
  • art. 13(3)(b): replaces point b on increased funding rates for SMEs and cross-border SMEs
  • art. 14(1): replaces paragraph 1 on verification of coordinator financial capacity
  • art. 17(2)(b): replaces point b on authorising multiple contracts within one procedure
  • art. 22: deletes Article 22
  • art. 23(3): replaces paragraph 3 on transfer and export discretion and general transfer licences
  • art. 23(4): replaces paragraph 4 on notification and reimbursement for ownership transfers
  • art. 23: adds paragraph 6 on access rights to development action results
  • art. 24(1): replaces paragraph 1 on annual or multiannual work programmes