Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001611/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Pierre-Romain Thionnet (PfE)
Through the ASAP programme, the Commission has committed to increasing annual ammunition shell production capacity to 2 million by the end of 2025, in particular by ramping up the production of powders and explosives.
However, the Seveso III Directive imposes especially burdensome environmental and administrative constraints on industrial defence sites, which hinder the rapid creation or expansion of industrial capacities, as shown by the difficulties encountered by the French company Eurenco[1].
Meanwhile, the REACH Regulation significantly stalls the production of chemicals essential for powder manufacturing, because of the lengthy and costly registration procedures and lack of exemption mechanisms, both for defence manufacturers and their civil suppliers[2].
At a time when the Member States urgently need to be rearmed:
- 1.Will the Commission reduce or introduce derogations from the disproportionate burdens imposed by the Seveso III Directive on defence companies and suppliers of dual use chemicals?
- 2.Will it also introduce similar exemptions under the REACH Regulation for chemicals essential for the production of powders and ammunition, and facilitate and speed up the registration procedures for these substances with the European Chemicals Agency?
Submitted: 23.4.2025