• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

EDA launches fourth review of Member States' defence ambitions

European Defence Agency

17 September 2025

The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the EU Military Staff (EUMS) have begun consultations with Member States for the next Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the EU's 'State of the Union' in defence. The report, due next year, will provide a detailed overview of Member States' goals, plans and projects. It will highlight trends in spending and planning, and identify gaps and collaborative defence initiatives with the greatest potential impact. It aims to inform decision-making at both national and EU levels.

Europe's defence posture relies on striking a careful balance: meeting urgent operational needs while pursuing long-term strategic objectives.

Belgium was the first of the 27 Member States to be consulted. During the discussions, EDA analysed Belgium's plans and priorities and discussed the Belgian perspective within the wider European context. These consultations offer first-hand insights into how national strategies contribute to EU defence and provide a platform to explore collaboration that avoids duplication and strengthens interoperability - the ability of armed forces, systems, equipment and technologies to work together.

Ultimately, CARD helps Member States bring coherence to the EU defence landscape and improve the efficiency of defence spending.

Ready for November 2026

The next consultation will take place this week in Ireland, and with all other Member States over the coming months.

Once complete, the findings will be compiled by next May. Political recommendations will serve as a reference for current and future defence initiatives and inform decisions on joint investment priorities, including Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects.

This is the fourth CARD cycle, building on previous reviews to track trends and propose concrete measures for cooperation. Updated assessment criteria will help identify opportunities for joint initiatives addressing short-, mid- and long-term military needs. Final recommendations will be submitted in the CARD report to the EDA Steering Board in November 2026.

EDA's wider role

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency serves as the hub for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks covering the whole spectrum of defence capabilities.

Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. For more details, please see www.eda.europa.eu