Europe’s security environment is undergoing its most profound transformation since the end of the Cold War, and the European Union is moving at unprecedented speed to strengthen its defence industrial base.
In this latest episode of Policy in Action, host Seyide Direk speaks with Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Member of the European Parliament and Rapporteur on Tackling barriers to the Single Market for defence, to examine what it will take to build a truly integrated, resilient, and production-ready European defence ecosystem.
From regulatory fragmentation and procurement bottlenecks to the scaling of industrial capacity, the conversation explores how EU defence policy is shifting from strategic ambition to concrete delivery.
🔹 The core structural challenges holding back Europe’s defence industrial readiness
🔹 Why the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) is a turning point for scaling production and strengthening the internal market
🔹 How ongoing procurement and intra-EU transfer reforms can accelerate cross-border cooperation
🔹 Ensuring that flagship initiatives like the Eastern Shield and the Drone Wall enable meaningful participation by SMEs and mid-caps, not only prime contractors
This discussion comes at a decisive moment for Europe’s defence policy. As EDIP advances and new Single Market rules for defence take shape, the focus is increasingly on speed, coordination, and industrial inclusion.
Join us as we take defence policy beyond declarations and into action.