European Defence Projects of Common Interest: Legal Framework and Institutional Integration under EDIP 2026

Legal Definition and Juridical Perimeter of EDPCI The European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs) are formally defined by Regulation (EU) 2025/2643 (the European Defence Industry Programme, EDIP). Under Article 35 of that Regulation, an EDPCI is a “collaborative industrial project aimed at reinforcing the competitiveness of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) throughout the Union while contributing to the development of Member States’ military capabilities critical for the Union’s security and defence interests” [1] [2] . This definition anchors EDPCIs in both industrial and strategic objectives: an EDPCI must bolster the EU-wide defence industrial base and simultaneously deliver critical military capabilities for Europe’s collective security. The scope explicitly spans all operational domains – land, maritime, air, space, and cyber – reflecting a comprehensive approach to capability development [1] [2] . Legally, EDPCIs constitute a new category of sovereign priority defence projects within the EU framework. They are distinguished from other EDIP actions by their scale and strategic importance. Whereas EDIP also funds “industrial reinforcement actions” (notably through Article 14’s FAST fund, discussed below), EDPCIs are conceived as flagship cooperative programs with enhanced governance and Union-level recognition.