2025 in review: EU defense regulatory milestones

Motivated by the deterioration of Europe’s security environment, defense went from being a highly sensitive topic reserved for national action, to becoming a priority for the EU’s future readiness, with the delivery of a common European defense architecture that combines:

• a new strategic framework leading up to 2030 (the “Defence White Paper”)
• financing tools, notably the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)
• regulatory simplification, like the Defence Readiness Omnibus, intended to shape an EU-wide defense market and faster procurement cycles.

To help you navigate next steps, we have prepared a summary of 2025 key regulatory milestones, their status, as well as what to look forward in 2026.