Article 4 — Objectives

1. The Programme shall aim to increase the competitiveness, resilience and readiness of the EDTIB by initiating and accelerating the adjustment of the industry to structural changes imposed by the evolving security environment. In particular, the Programme shall aim to: (a) enhance cooperation in defence procurement by incentivising Member States to aggregate demand for defence products, harmonise defence capability requirements and strengthen solidarity among themselves, ultimately leading to greater interoperability and interchangeability, and by improving predictability of demand for the EDTIB, corresponding with Member States’ defence product needs; (b) improve and accelerate the capacity for adaptation of defence industrial supply chains, open up supply chains for cross-border cooperation, in particular for SMEs and mid-caps, increase manufacturing capacities, reduce production lead time for defence products and support the industrialisation and commercialisation of defence products supported by actions funded by the Union or by other Union cooperative activities conducted with the support of Member States, with a view to ensuring the availability and supply of defence products throughout the Union, and taking into account the specific needs of Member States in the case of materialisation of conventional military threats; (c) improve the security of supply and resilience of the EDTIB by supporting the development and presence of the EDTIB throughout the Union. 2. The Programme shall be implemented taking into account the objectives of the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence and shall be consistent with the defence capability priorities commonly agreed by Member States within the framework of the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), in particular within the context of the Capability Development Plan (CDP), and with the collaborative opportunities identified in the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD). 3. The Programme shall be consistent with Member States’ cooperation within the framework of permanent structured cooperation (PESCO), EDA initiatives and projects, and the Union’s civil and military assistance to Ukraine. The Programme shall duly take into account the relevant activities carried out by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and other partners where such activities serve the security and defence interests of the Union.