The European Defense Agency signed the first agreements on the joint purchase of artillery ammunition for Ukraine’s needs.

The agency’s website notes that this regards 155-mm ammunition.

“The European Defence Agency has so far signed eight framework contracts with European industry for the joint procurement of 155mm ammunition,” the statement reads.

The signing of the latest five contracts took place at the EDA headquarters in Brussels on September 5, during a visit of the European Union’s Political and Security Committee ambassadors.

High Representative Josep Borrell, who is also Head of the European Defence Agency, shared: “Member States can now pass orders within eight framework contracts. Time is of the essence. Putin does not show any sign of letting up in his aggression against the Ukrainian people. This is why our military support for Ukraine’s defense must continue.”

EDA’s Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý said: “The signing of these framework contracts between EDA and the European defense industry shows our capacity to swiftly secure the best deals possible for EU Member States and Norway.”

“We are now offering viable opportunities for Member States to place orders with industry through EDA, either to support Ukraine or to replenish their own national stocks. It is now up to Member States to make full use of these options,” he added.

To date, EDA has negotiated and signed multiple framework contracts for the procurement of the 155mm ammunition rounds, also known as all-up-rounds, for the Panzerhaubitze 2000, as well as for the projectile and fuse components of ammunition for the Krab howitzer.

More framework contracts for other artillery systems used by Ukraine will soon materialize.

The EU plans to double the production of artillery shells by the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024 to meet the needs of Ukraine.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur reported this in an interview with Bloomberg.

“We see that European industrial capacities have gone up, so this is a positive trend. Probably by the end of the year — or the beginning of next year — we can produce almost double the size we were producing in Europe compared to a year ago,” the Minister said.