site.btaMEP Nikola Minchev: EU Lacks Common Market in Defence Sector

The European Union lacks a common market in the defence sector, and production and implementation are dictated entirely by individual Member States, Bulgarian MEP Nikola Minchev (CC-DB/Renew Europe) said in BTA's podcast EU Lex BG. He talked about the latest legislative decisions in the field of defence, the instruments that need to be built for a better European defence, and Bulgaria's voice in Brussels.

To date, the topic of the EU's defence capacity and that of the European continent as a whole is at a much higher level than it was in previous years, Minchev noted. The European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), which was adopted at the end of 2025, is one of the instruments whose task is to strengthen this capacity, he added.

The aim of the EUR 1.5 billion EDIP is to, first and foremost, stimulate joint procurement within the Union, Minchev commented. According to him, now is the time to work on the problem of the lack of a common market in European defence, which has been known for a long time and leads to lower operational compatibility between individual countries. The solution is to have joint defence procurement in the EU involving at least three countries, at least two of which are EU Member States, thereby reducing fragmentation in the sector and achieving economies of scale when larger orders are placed by more contracting entities.

The EDIP's other major goal is to improve the competitiveness of the European technology and defence industry, said the Bulgarian MEP. "We must realize that the geopolitical situation is completely different, that industry in Europe is used to working in peacetime, while now the needs are completely different, at a much higher level, first and foremost to continue supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, and secondly, to replenish the reserves of European countries," Minchev argued. 

The document on Europe's military industry stipulates that at least 65% of the products financed must be of European origin, with 35% remaining for external suppliers. The issue of product origin is very important, Minchev said, citing data to date showing that the majority of European defence spending - almost 80% - goes to suppliers outside Europe. The United States accounts for a large share of that 80%. "For decades, Europe has relied on the US for its overall security, but Donald Trump's term in office has shown how much of a weakness this is," added the Bulgarian MEP.

Alongside the European Defence Industry Programme until 2027, other key instruments for consolidating and strengthening European defence are also in place at the EU level. Leading EU strategic documents – already worth hundreds of billions of euro – include the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument, which will help countries invest in key defence priorities, and now the resolution on a military Schengen.

"What the European Parliament did with the resolution it adopted was to express support for an increased budget for the development of such military mobility," said Minchev on the subject of military Schengen. The aim is to ensure the rapid movement of equipment, goods, and people within the European Union when necessary, with EUR 17 billion earmarked in the EU's next multiannual financial framework. The European Parliament has called on Member States not to cut this amount, as was done in the previous period, so that the necessary civil infrastructure can be built, Minchev explained. 

The resolution on military mobility, better known as military Schengen, was adopted on December 17, 2025. The members of the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Committee on Security and Defence are now set to begin their legislative work on the military mobility package.

Watch the full interview with Nikola Minchev on the EU Lex BG podcast channel.

EU Lex BG is a European Parliament-supported initiative in which BTA presents the implementation of EU legislation in Bulgaria and talks to Bulgarian MEPs.