Brussels, 24/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 24 June, the European Commission unveiled a report setting out the measures and action, along with a timetable, for strengthening the single defence market. It is committed to tackling the many cases in Europe of failure to abide by the competition rules in Community law. It seeks to strengthen the industrial and technological base of the European defence industry, in keeping with the conclusions of the European Council of December 2013 (see EUROPE 10989).
The Commission report comes in the form of a roadmap divided into seven chapters, each advocating a number of different action areas. The Commission's primary aim is to ensure respect of the directive (2009/81/EC) on public defence markets by monitoring application and publishing guidance notes for member states with regard to the use of the exemptions permitted and by identifying and tackling the practice of economic offsets when procuring equipment. With regard to this latter objective, an ad hoc advisory group could possibly be set up. At the same time, the Commission is committed to ensuring, together with member states and the industries involved, the best way to promote SMEs' cross-border market access in a non-discriminatory way. A roadmap will also be drawn up by June 2015 on a system for ensuring the EU's security of supply.
In the section on competitiveness, the Commission will see by the middle of 2015 whether it is necessary to bring forward initiatives to support the defence industry's access to raw materials. The conditions for accessing structural and investment funds by SMEs should also be clarified with regard to dual use products. In this connection, the Commission is seeking to promote research and development for this kind of product, through the Horizon 2020 framework programme. In an effort to identify priority projects, a joint assessment will be carried out with the External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) to identify dual capacity requirements.
In the space section, the Commission simply pointed out, without proposing any precise timetable, what the action areas will be: funding through Horizon 2020 of space tracking activities and the follow-up of orbiting objects, and contributing to the setting up of a user group for the new generation of government communications satellites (SATCOM). A section on energy is also included and the Commission is proposing to set up an experts' platform, whose aim would be to find ways of reducing the European armed forces' energy consumption. In an effort to promote exports outside the EU, the Commission will set up a discussion group during the final quarter of 2014 and carry out an impact assessment of dual product export controls. (JK)