A New Deal for European Defence: Commission proposes industrial action plan
25 Jun 2014 02:40 PM
The European Commission has presented a roadmap
for measures to strengthen the Single Market for defence, to promote a more
competitive defence industry and to foster synergies between civil and military
research including details and timelines for the actions.
These actions include preparing a roadmap for a
comprehensive EU-wide security of supply regime; practical guidance for
regional authorities and SMEs clarifying the possibility of using European
funds for supporting dual-use projects; and a new 'Preparatory Action'
to test the added value of an EU contribution to defence-related research for
the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Taken together, these actions
will contribute to making the European defence and security sector more
efficient and strengthen the Union’s CSDP. The roadmap is the follow-up
to the Commission's Communication on defence presented in July 2013 (IP/13/734).
European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani,
Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: "The European
Council recognised that defence collaboration between Member States needed to
be deeper and more sustained if the EU was to adequately face its security
challenges. Therefore, it is vital that, the European defence industry
remains a world-leading centre for manufacturing and innovation, creating
highly qualified jobs and growth."
Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel
Barnier said: “It is clear that developing and maintaining the
technology and critical capabilities required for the future is beyond the
capacity of individual Member States. While defence and security remain
primarily a matter of national responsibility, more can be done to promote
European co-operation. The Commission will contribute to
this endeavour, in particular by strengthening the Single Market for defence
and fostering competitiveness in the defence
industry."
Why
does action have to be taken by the EU?
A
more influential Europe needs a strong and active common security and defence
policy (CSDP), which in turn requires a more competitive and efficient defence
and security sector. The successive waves of cuts in defence budgets and the
persistent fragmentation of defence markets in Europe threaten Europe’s
capacity to sustain effective defence capabilities and a competitive defence
industry. This also jeopardises Europe’s capacity to meet the new
security challenges in an autonomous and effective way.
Action is particularly important since the economic
crisis has hit hard an industry which is of strategic importance to Europe. It
is a major industrial sector with a turnover of €96 billion in 2012
alone, employing about 400,000 people and generating up to another 960,000
indirect jobs. Its cutting-edge research has created important indirect effects
in other sectors, such as electronics, space and civil aviation and provides
growth and thousands of highly skilled jobs.
To
foster cooperation and enhance the efficiency of the sector, the Commission has
decided to take the following initiatives:
1. Complete the Single Market for defence and
security. Based on the two existing Directives on defence procurement
and intra EU defence transfers (IP/07/1860), the Commission will also tackle market distortions and
contribute to improving security of supply between Member
States.
2. Strengthen the competitiveness of European
industry. To this end, the Commission will develop a defence
industrial policy based on two key strands:
-
Support for
competitiveness – support work to identify a new mechanism
for developing defence standards in Europe and a common approach to standards
for military aircraft.
-
Support for SMEs – including
development of networks between defence-related regions within the EU, support
defence-related SMEs in global competition and provide practical guidance to
SMEs and European regional authorities clarifying the eligibility of using
European funds in support of dual-use projects.
3. To support European defence
research. To achieve this, the Commission will seek the maximum
synergies possible between civil and military research, in particular,
by:
Background
In
July 2013, the Commission put forward the Communication “towards a more
competitive and efficient defence and security sector” as a contribution
to the European Council of December 2013. The European Council welcomed the
Communication and will review progress in June 2015. The Report presented will
provide the basis for the Commission's work programme, subject to the
priorities established by the new Commission.
More information:
Communication
Staff Working Document
Defence industry - Working together to
Support Europe's Defence
Defence procurement
EU internal defence market is opening
slowly