During the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, as part of the one-minute speeches on important political issues, PiS MEP Michał Dworczyk took the floor and spoke about the unfair eligibility criteria for projects under the European Defense Industry Program (EDIP), which discriminate against projects located in countries on the European Union’s eastern flank.
The PiS MEP stated that the EDIP program, which is intended to strengthen Europe’s joint production and defense capabilities, raises legitimate concerns regarding its accessibility to the defense industries of countries on the EU’s eastern flank. “The eligibility criteria for projects under this program proposed by the European Commission are unfair and favor entities with large production capacities and a broad customer base,” said Dworczyk, adding that at the same time, “it is futile to look for support for smaller companies or startups.”
In this context, the Polish politician asked why, when formulating eligibility criteria for programs such as EDIRPA (Strengthening the European Defense Industry through a Common Public Procurement Law) and EDIP, the criterion promoting projects located in the countries on the eastern flank of the European Union was completely overlooked. “Giving preference to large entities, such as French and German conglomerates, instead of introducing mechanisms to level the playing field for smaller companies and frontline states, results in the weakening of regional defense capabilities,” Dworczyk stated. According to the politician, this is a short-sighted policy that ignores the strategic importance of the EU’s eastern flank in the context of current and future security challenges.
Furthermore, as the MEP noted, the requirement for a national contribution as a key element of projects—such as in the case of the Act on Support for Ammunition Production (ASAP)— further discriminates against countries whose defense industries do not have vast financial resources. He pointed out that Polish companies, though innovative and capable of carrying out advanced projects, cannot compete in terms of capital with the giants of Western Europe. “So why weren’t criteria included that would recognize the strategic contribution of projects carried out in countries most vulnerable to aggression?” asked the PiS MEP.
“The time for change is now—before EDIP repeats the mistakes of EDIRPA and ASAP. The eligibility criteria must be revised to make them fairer and more in line with the actual security needs of our continent,” the PiS politician urged.
