By AFP | 2025-06-20

BRUSSELS -- The European Union (EU) on June 17 unveiled a raft of proposals to slash red tape in the defense sector as the bloc pushes to rearm in the face of Russia.

Europe is working to boost its weapon production, spurred by Russia's war in Ukraine and a desire to strengthen its own defense capabilities.

"The only way to ensure European peace is to make sure we are ready to defend ourselves credibly and quickly," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.

"With this package, we are putting forward ambitious proposals to cut red tape."

Time-consuming permits

As part of the drive, Brussels says it wants to reduce the time needed for permits from the years it can take now to just 60 days.

A senior EU official gave as an example an ammunition testing facility that needs to comply with a myriad of environmental and health and safety rules.

"It can take up to three years or four years," the official said.

Under the proposed law, authorities in the EU's member states "will have 60 days to react" and if they do not respond in time, it will be assumed permission is granted, the official said.

The bloc is seeking to ease access to EU funding for companies and to clarify investment rules that have often scared asset managers off from putting money into the defense industry.

The proposals to cut bureaucracy are the latest volley in the EU's efforts to boost its ability to rearm since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this year the bloc pushed through plans that could generate a further €800 billion ($924 billion) in spending on defense.

The drive comes as NATO leaders are expected to commit to massively step up military budgets at a summit in The Hague next week.

Russia could look to attack the alliance within five years and that Moscow's weapon production is far outstripping the West's, says NATO.

The defense plan is part of a broader drive by Brussels to simplify regulations across the economy in a bid to make Europe more competitive.

The proposals from the European Commission will now be picked over by the EU's member states and lawmakers before they can become law.

EU lays out plan to end Russian gas imports

On June 17, the EU unveiled a plan to phase out Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, aiming to end decades of energy dependency that have proven difficult to break since the war began.

The European Commission indicated last month it would seek to prohibit Russian gas imports under new contracts as of January 1, 2026, and imports under existing short-term contracts by June 17 next year.

All remaining imports would be banned by the end of 2027, the EU executive confirmed June 17.

"Russia has repeatedly attempted to blackmail us by weaponizing its energy supplies. We have taken clear steps to turn off the tap and end the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe for good," said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

The plan uses trade and energy laws -- rather than sanctions -- to prohibit imports from Russia.

The move aims to bypass potential opposition from Slovakia and Hungary, which are diplomatically closer to the Kremlin and still import Russian gas via pipeline.

The proposal needs a green light from the European Council representing member states and the EU parliament.

While sanctions need unanimous approval from the EU's 27 nations, trade restrictions require only the backing of a weighted majority of 15 countries.

The EU enacted a ban on Russian oil in late 2022 in response to the Ukraine invasion, and has since sought to wean itself off Russian gas as well.

Although gas imports via pipeline have fallen sharply, several European countries have increased their purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), transported by sea.

Russian gas imports cut by more than half

Russia supplied 19% of the bloc's gas last year, EU data show, down from 45% before the war.

Thirty-two billion cubic meters of the fuel entered the bloc via the TurkStream pipeline and 20 billion cubic meters through liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.

A senior official said it was likely that since some companies have entered supply contracts that run beyond 2027, the ban would result in a number of arbitrations.

But on June 16, EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen sought to reassure importers.

"Since this will be a prohibition, a ban, the companies will not get into legal problems. This is force majeure as if it had been a sanction," he told a news conference.