The European Commission is providing an additional EUR 130 million under the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) to support drone and counter-drone measures that strengthen security at the EU external borders. The new funding comes on top of an initial allocation of EUR 250 million as announced in December 2025. It will support national authorities in 16 EU Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Spain, The Netherlands) and one Schengen Associated Country (Norway) by:
- improving aerial border surveillance;
- increasing institutional awareness;
- enhancing the capacity of national authorities to respond to security threats.
The aim is to protect land and maritime borders, as well as ports, airports and border crossing points. The funding should reinforce the capabilities of border authorities to detect and monitor unauthorised drone activity, hybrid threats and cross-border crime at or near the EU’s external borders.
The funding will also support the integration of drone and counter-drone systems into national border surveillance frameworks. This includes IT development, training and closer cooperation between the relevant authorities.
The projects in selected countries mentioned above will be integrated into the BMVI programmes of the countries and should be implemented during the current programming period, with funding available until 31 December 2029.
This initiative demonstrates the EU’s commitment to stronger and more coordinated border management, enhancing the security of the EU’s external borders and protecting citizens across Europe.
