EU Defence Capabilities after the War in Ukraine: The Act in Support of Ammunition Production and the Development of an EU Defence Industrial Policy

This chapter examines Regulation (EU) 2023/1525—the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP)—as a key element of the European Union’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its implications for EU defence capability. ASAP seeks to accelerate ammunition and missile production within the Union by using internal market and industrial policy competences, marking a notable widening of EU involvement in the defence-industrial field. The chapter situates the instrument within the broader post-2022 evolution of CFSP/CSDP, the expansion of EU financial support for Ukraine, and the Union’s emerging economic security agenda. While ASAP represents a meaningful step towards strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base, its modest €500 million budget and the removal of the Commission’s proposed power to issue priority-rated orders substantially limit its effect. The analysis concludes that, although ASAP moves the EU closer to a defence union, the current framework remains insufficient in light of the ongoing war and the uncertainty surrounding long-term US commitments to European security