Defence Industry Integration into EU Cohesion Policy
The mid-term amendments to the EU’s cohesion framework explicitly incorporate the defence industry into the policy’s objectives. Recital (6) underlines that “unprecedented geopolitical instability” requires cohesion funding to support both defence and security, thereby transforming instruments once focused exclusively on socio-economic convergence into tools for strategic resilience. For the first time, the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund are mandated to finance industrial capacities in the defence sector and to invest in dual-use infrastructure. The legislation clarifies that these capacities relate to the development and production of defence products as defined by EU law, thereby aligning cohesion investment with the Union’s broader defence regulatory architecture. Article 3(a)(vii) adds a new specific objective: “enhancing industrial capacities to foster defence capabilities, prioritising capabilities of a dual-use nature.” By embedding this into the policy framework, cohesion becomes an explicit instrument of strategic autonomy. Funds allocated to these objectives must be programmed under dedicated priorities, ensuring clarity of purpose and avoiding dilution across unrelated fields. Exceptional financial support mechanisms, including higher co-financing rates and special pre-financing arrangements, strengthen this link. The overall effect is to position cohesion not only as a social and economic policy but also as a structural contributor to European security.