Thank you, Henna. Good afternoon, everyone.

The European Union has always been a peace project.

This has not changed and will not change.

However, the context has changed significantly.

Today, while our Union is not at war, we face high-intensity conflict on our borders and persistent threats from Russia.

According to intelligence from several EU Member States, Russias military production capacity has surged recently.

This means Russia could potentially launch an attack on EU or NATO Member States in the next three to five years.

We are not trying to incite fear; we must act based on the current reality.

Thus, we must respond urgently to these threats.

Practically, this means recognizing that weakness invites aggression, while strength deters it.

We need to enhance Europes defensive capabilities by 2030 to provide a credible deterrent against Russian aggression.

This requires boosting the capacity and readiness of the European defence industry.

We will need substantial, sustained investment and strong cooperation with our allies.

The good news is that we have already initiated decisive measures to facilitate this investment.

The Commissions ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 initiative aims to mobilize an unprecedented €800 billion for additional defence spending over the next four years.

However, simply investing is not enough; we must ensure we get value for our spending.

This leads us to todays proposals.

The Defence Readiness Omnibus seeks to ensure that our regulations support – rather than hinder – these investments.

This is where the Commissions “implementation and simplification agenda” can assist by making our rules simpler and faster.

In essence, today’s defence proposals can unlock the potential of the EUs greatest achievement – the Single Market – benefiting the European defence industry and overall deterrence.

An EU-wide defence market is the most effective means for Member States to replenish their arsenals and enhance readiness.

However, this requires EU countries to overcome a long history where military enhancement was not a collaborative effort.

The saying “United we stand, divided we fall” is more relevant than ever.

As with all our simplification proposals, we have closely engaged with key stakeholders – including the defence industry, national authorities, and defence experts – to address their challenges.

Todays proposals are ambitious and comprehensive.

They focus on:

• Addressing critical bottlenecks that hinder defence equipment production,
• Clarifying legal ambiguities,
• Simplifying processes to eliminate unnecessary administrative hurdles and reduce costs.

While primarily addressing defence regulations and programs, they also consider how other EU rules can be improved to facilitate defence investments, access to key inputs like chemicals, and the creation of European supply chains.

Commissioner Kubilius will present these proposals in more detail, but let me highlight three major simplification examples.

First, we propose significantly accelerating permitting processes for the defence industry, including establishing a single national point of contact.

Permitting requests will have a 60-day review deadline, and if national authorities do not respond, the relevant permit will be deemed granted.

Second, we are simplifying defence procurement rules to maximize efficiencies and minimize administrative burdens and costs.

For example, we are facilitating the procurement of innovative solutions that will transform defence through disruptive technologies.

This is crucial given the changing nature of warfare, as seen in Ukraine.

We are also raising procurement rule applicability thresholds to €900,000 for supply and service contracts.

Furthermore, we propose extending framework agreements from 7 to 10 years and opening them to other EU Member States.

My third example ensures our defence companies can easily access private capital.

We are issuing a Guidance Notice to financial institutions and the defence sector, clarifying that the Unions sustainable finance framework does not restrict financing for the defence sector.

Only weapons banned by international arms conventions, to which most Member States adhere, should be excluded from certain sustainable investment indices under the Benchmark Regulation.

In conclusion, todays proposals are part of our broader efforts to simplify Europes regulatory framework and enhance the competitiveness of our economies.

I am confident that massive investments in the defence industry will yield positive spill-over effects for our entire economy.

Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, and quantum computing will ultimately transition to civilian use, boosting Europe’s future competitiveness.

I will now hand over to Andrius for further details.

Thank you.