Article 3

Regulation (EU) 2021/697 is amended as follows: (1) Article 5 is replaced by the following: Article 5 Associated countries The Fund shall be open to the participation of the following third countries (associated countries): (a) members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the EEA, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Agreement on the European Economic Area; (b) Ukraine, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. ; (2) Article 6 is replaced by the following: Article 6 Support for disruptive technologies for defence 1. The Fund shall support actions that are conducive to developing disruptive technologies for defence in the areas of intervention defined in the work programmes referred to in Article 24. 2. The work programmes shall lay down the most appropriate forms of funding, selection and award criteria and procedures, and implementation for disruptive technologies for defence. ; (3) the following article is inserted: Article 8a Cumulative funding and transfers of resources 1. An action that has received a contribution from another Union programme may also receive a contribution under the Fund, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs. The rules of the relevant Union programme shall apply to the corresponding contribution to the action. The support from the different Union programmes may be calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the documents setting out the conditions for support. 2. Resources allocated to Member States under shared management may, at the request of the Member State concerned, be transferred to the Fund, subject to the conditions set out in the relevant provisions of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The Commission shall implement those resources directly in accordance with point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 62(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council or indirectly in accordance with point (c) of that subparagraph. Such resources shall be implemented for the benefit of the Member State concerned and in accordance with the rules of the Fund. 3. Resources transferred in accordance to paragraph 2 of this Article may, by way of derogation from Article 13(2), be used for the purpose of contributing to the funding of eligible actions referred to in Article 10(3), points (e) to (h), up to 100 % of the eligible costs. 4. Where the Commission has not entered into a legal commitment under direct or indirect management for resources transferred in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article and in any event by 30 September 2027, the corresponding uncommitted resources may be transferred back to one or more respective source programmes, at the request of the Member State concerned, in accordance with the conditions set out in the relevant provisions of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060. 5. Member States, Union institutions, bodies and agencies, third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions or other third parties, may provide additional financial contributions to the Fund. Such financial contributions shall constitute external assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(2), point (a), (d), or (e) or Article 21(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.