1Council Decision (EU) 2025/2134 of 18 September 2025 authorising the opening of negotiations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and with Canada, respectively, for agreements laying down the conditions for the participation of entities established in such third countries and products originating in their territories in the procurements supported by the SAFE Instrument established by Regulation (EU) 2025/1106

Council Decision (EU) 2025/2134 of 18 September 2025 authorising the opening of negotiations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and with Canada, respectively, for agreements laying down the conditions for the participation of entities established in such third countries and products originating in their territories in the procurements supported by the SAFE Instrument established by Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 212, in conjunction with Article 218(3) and (4) thereof, Having regard to the recommendation from the European Commission, Whereas: (1) On 19 May 2025 and on 23 June 2025, the Union concluded a Security and Defence Partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and with Canada, respectively, as an outcome of the recent leaders’ summits with both countries. Those countries (the Partner Countries) have formally requested to enter into negotiations with the Union for the conclusion of bilateral agreements, as provided for in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 of 27 May 2025 establishing the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) through the Reinforcement of the European Defence Industry Instrument (OJ L, 2025/1106, 28.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/1106/oj). . (2) Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 provides for the participation of entities established in certain third countries and products originating in those countries in the procurements supported by the Security Action For Europe (SAFE) through the Reinforcement of the European Defence Industry Instrument (the SAFE instrument), established by Regulation (EU) 2025/1106, subject to an agreement to be concluded in accordance with Article 218 of the Treaty. (3) The participation of entities established in Partner Countries and products originating in their territories aims to contribute to improving the availability of defence products by supporting existing industrial cooperation and ensuring reciprocal access to state-of-the-art technologies, as well as to speeding up the adjustment of the European defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB) to structural changes stemming from the stark deterioration of the geopolitical and security context. Agreements with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Canada, respectively, can contribute to strengthening the Union’s defence readiness, in line with the Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030. (4) Negotiations should be opened with a view to concluding agreements with the Partner Countries in a timely manner, taking into account the deadline of 30 November 2025 for the submission of the European defence industry investment plans as set out in Article 7(1) of Regulation (EU) 2025/1106, and laying down the rules for the participation of entities established in the respective Partner Country and products originating in the respective Partner Country in the procurements supported by the SAFE Instrument,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. The Commission is authorised to open negotiations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and with Canada, respectively, for agreements laying down the rules for the participation of entities established in such third countries and products originating in their territories in the procurements supported by the SAFE Instrument established by Regulation (EU) 2025/1106, pursuant to Article 17 of that Regulation.
2. The negotiations shall be conducted on the basis of the negotiating directives of the Council set out in the addendum to this Decision.

Article 2

The Commission is hereby nominated as the Union negotiator.

Article 3

The negotiations shall be conducted in consultation with the Defence Industry Working Party, which is hereby designated as the special committee provided for in Article 218(4) of the Treaty, and in accordance with the directives set out in the addendum to this Decision, subject to any directives which the Council may subsequently issue to the Commission. The Commission shall regularly report to the Defence Industry Working Party on the progress of the negotiations and shall forward all relevant negotiating documents to it without delay.

Article 4

This Decision is addressed to the Commission. Done at Brussels, 18 September 2025. For the Council The President L. Aagaard