Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on drones and new systems of warfare – the EU’s need to adapt to be fit for today’s security challenges

(2025/2088(INI))

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Removed– having regard to the Commission proposal for a Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025) 0571),

Added– having regard to Articles 42(7) and 222 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),

Removed– having regard to the European Competitiveness Fund with a defence and space component to strengthen the defence industrial base, including drones,

Added– having regard to the Commission proposal for a Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025)0571),

Removed– having regard to the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague and the deepening EU-NATO strategic partnership, notably on drone integration, innovation and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) capabilities, including the Rapid Adoption Action Plan and the Innovation Cooperation Roadmap with Ukraine designed to provide support for Ukraine and enhance protection of allied airspace and critical infrastructure,

Added– having regard to the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (‘ECF’), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities, repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/522, (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/783, repealing provisions of Regulations (EU) 2021/696, (EU) 2023/588, and amending Regulation (EU) (COM(2025)0555), which includes a defence and space component to strengthen the defence industrial base, including drones,

Added– having regard to the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague and the deepening EU-NATO strategic partnership, notably on drone integration, innovation and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) capabilities, including the NATO Rapid Adoption Action Plan and the NATO-Ukraine Innovation Cooperation Roadmap, which is designed to provide support for Ukraine and enhance protection of allied airspace and critical infrastructure,

– having regard to the Readiness Action Plan, launched at the 2014 NATO Wales Summit in response to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, and its evolution into a baseline framework for NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, culminating in the 2022 NATO Force Model,

– having regard to the tailored EU security and defence partnerships with Norway, Moldova, Japan, South Korea, Albania, North Macedonia and the United Kingdom, each framed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as crisis management, maritime and cybersecurity, military mobility, and defence industry collaboration,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 26 June 2025 on Ukraine, the Middle East, European defence and security, EU in the world, competitiveness, migration, the Republic of Moldova, Western Balkans, internal security, preparedness, hybrid activities and other items, and industrial readiness and the ReArm Europe Plan / Readiness 2030 objectives, the European Defence Fund (EDF) interim report and the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP),

Removed– having regard to the report of 27 June 2025 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) entitled ‘Common Foreign and Security Policy Report - Our priorities in 2025’,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 9 October 2025 on a united response to recent Russian violations of EU Member States’ airspace and critical infrastructure,

Added– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 21 February 2025 entitled ‘EU Action Plan on Cable Security’ (JOIN(2025)0009),

Added– having regard to its resolution of 12 March 2025 on the ‘White Paper’ on the future of European defence (2025/2565(RSP)),

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 29 November 2022 entitled ‘A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Ecosystem in Europe’ (COM(2022)0652),

Added– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 5 March 2024 entitled ‘A New European Defence Industrial Strategy: Achieving EU Readiness through a Responsive and Resilient European Defence Industry’ (JOIN(2025)0010),

Added– having regard to the Informal meeting of Heads of State or Government in Copenhagen of 1 October 2025,

Added– having regard to the Integrated Air and Missile Defence (NATO IAMD), tailored to address all types of air and missile threats from all strategic directions,

Added– having regard to Directive (EU) 2022/2557 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on the resilience of critical entities and repealing Council Directive 2008/114/EC,

Added– having regard to the Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services Briefing of 2025 entitled ‘Military drone systems in the EU and global context: Types, capabilities and regulatory frameworks’, which refers to the EU funding support to the Eurodrone programme, including EUR 98 million in 2020 and EUR 100 million in 2024,

Added– having regard to NATO standard STANAG 4748 (Digital Underwater Signalling),

Added– having regard to the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report 04/2025 entitled ‘EU Military Mobility – Full speed not reached due to design weaknesses and obstacles en route’,

Added– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (REACH Regulation),

Added– having regard to the report of 27 June 2025 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) entitled ‘Common Foreign and Security Policy Report – Our priorities in 2025’,

– having regard to its resolution of 19 September 2024 on continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States,

Changed– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 19 March 2025 entitled, ‘Joint white paper for European Defence Readiness 2030’2030’, andwhich refers to the European defencePeace industrialFacility strategyand (EDIS),its support of dronerelated capability delivery in Ukraine,

Removed– having regard to the European Peace Facility and its support of dronerelated capability delivery in Ukraine,

Added– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 5 March 2025 entitled ‘A new European Defence Industrial Strategy: Achieving EU readiness through a responsive and resilient European Defence Industry’, (JOIN(2024)0010),

– having regard the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, including the Security Action for Europe and Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency instruments, as critical enablers for scaling up dualuse innovation and industrial resilience,

Removed– having regard to the Horizon Europe research and innovation framework programme,

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013 and (EU) No 1291/2013,

Changed– having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe and repealing Regulations (EC) No 219/2007, (EU) No 557/2014, (EU) No 558/2014, (EU) No 559/2014, (EU) No 560/2014, (EU) No 561/2014 and (EU) No 642/2014, laying down the framework for Single European Sky ATM Research andResearch, itswhich relevanceseeks to enable the integration of military drones in shared airspace,

– having regard to the report of 9 September 2024 by Mario Draghi entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’ and chapter four thereof on increasing security and reducing dependencies,

– having regard to the political guidelines of 18 July 2024 for the European Commission 2024-2029, by the then candidate for the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, entitled ‘Europe’s choice’,

– having regard to its resolution of 17 July 2024 on the need for the EU’s continuous support for Ukraine,

Changed– having regard to the Commission Implementing Decision C(2024)1702 of 15 March 2024 on the financing of the instrument for the reinforcement of the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA) established by Regulation (EU) 2023/2418 of the European Parliament and of the Council and the adoption of the work programme for 2024-2025,2024-2025 (C(2024)1702),

▸7 unchanged paragraphs

– having regard to its resolution of 29 February 2024 on the need for unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2023 on the implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2022, which emphasises the urgency of developing drone and counter-drone capacities within common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions,

– having regard to the Versailles Declaration of 10 and 11 March 2022,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 24 January 2022 on the European security situation and of 22 January 2018 on the Integrated Approach to External Conflicts and Crises,

– having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence,

– having regard to the European Defence Agency’s Action Plan on Autonomous Systems (APAS), approved on 11 January 2024, which establishes a phased, comprehensive framework to accelerate the development, interoperability, regulation, standardisation, certification, and cross-domain deployment of autonomous systems across land, air, maritime and hybrid operations,

– having regard to the APAS’s structured roadmap for the period 2024-2038, including flagship projects targeting cross-domain autonomous swarms and manned-unmanned teaming, supported by the Autonomous Systems Community of Interest and the Ad Hoc Working Group to coordinate implementation and stakeholder engagement,

Changed– having regard to relevant NATO doctrines and guidelines on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including STANAG 4671 (airworthiness),(unmanned aircraft systems airworthiness requirements), STANAG 4703 (C2), and the NATO Joint Air Power Strategy,

Changed– having regard to the European Defence Agency’s European Military Airworthiness Requirement (EMAR) of 18 April 2024, which provides Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and Guidance Material (GM) to support and interpret the European Military Airworthiness Requirements on continuing airworthiness (EMAR M), and to the EMAR M framework and its AMC and GM as essential tools for aligning military airworthiness practices with the latest regulatory standards and ensuring their effective implementation within the military aviation environment,

Removed– having regard to the EMAR M framework and its AMC and GM as essential tools for aligning military airworthiness practices with the latest regulatory standards and ensuring their effective implementation within the military aviation environment,

Added– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 10 November 2022 entitled, ‘Action plan on military mobility 2.0’ (JOIN(2022)0048), which expands and digitalises military mobility infrastructure and administrative processes to streamline cross-border troop and equipment movements,

Removed– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 10 November 2022 entitled, ‘Action plan on military mobility 2.0’, which expands and digitalises military mobility infrastructure and administrative processes to streamline cross-border troop and equipment movement,

Added– having regard to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/675 of 4 April 2025 amending Regulation (EU) No 1302/2014 concerning a technical specification for interoperability relating to the rolling stock — locomotives and passenger rolling stock subsystem of the rail system in the European Union and Implementing Decision 2011/665/EU on the register of authorised types of railway vehicles and the Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport’s adoption of automated systems for authorising personnel carriages in military freight trains, as part of a broader effort to modernise and accelerate logistic procedures across the trans-European transport network,

Removed– having regard to the Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport’s adoption of automated systems for authorising personnel carriages in military freight trains, as part of a broader effort to modernise and accelerate logistic procedures across the trans-European transport network,

Added– having regard to the decision by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation and Member States (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) to launch the Eurodrone MALE RPAS programme, formalised by the EUR 7.1 billion contract signed in February 2022 to develop and produce 60 drones, and its evolution through the 2024 preliminary design review and the upcoming critical design review in 2025, EU funding support (of EUR 100 million in 2024) and the accession of India as an observer in early 2025,

Removed– having regard to the decision by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation and Member States (France, Germany, Italy, Spain) to launch the Eurodrone MALE RPAS programme, formalised by the EUR 7.1 billion contract signed in February 2022 to develop and produce 60 drones, and its evolution through the 2024 preliminary design review and the nearing critical design review in 2025, EU funding support (of EUR 100 million in 2024) and the accession of India as an observer in early 2025,

Added– having regard to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ recommendations on lethal autonomous weapons systems and UN reports on the use of armed drones under international law,

Removed– having regard to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs’ recommendations on lethal autonomous weapons systems and UN reports on the use of armed drones under international law,

– having regard to national frameworks and doctrinal publications on military drones,

– having regard to 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,