While the United States threatened Europeans with reprisals in a letter if they went ahead with rules that they believed would limit American participation in European military projects, the High Representative of the Union tried on Tuesday 14 May to reassure the Americans.
“The European Union is and remains open to American companies and equipment”, she stressed at the end of the Defence Council, pointing out that permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) projects were an additional element of what the EU already has.
Mrs Mogherini pointed out that Europe was particularly open. “The EU is much more open than the US market for public procurement for EU companies and equipment. In the EU, there is no “Buy European Act” – and about 81% of international contracts now go to US companies in Europe. I don't see any real reason to be concerned”, she explained, referring to the Buy American Act.
According to the High Representative, PESCO projects do not replace or change procurement rules.
Mrs Mogherini also announced that the EEAS, together with the Commission and the Member States, was preparing a “clear and comprehensive response” to US concerns.
In a letter sent on 1 May, and revealed by El País, Ellen Lord, US Under-Secretary of Defence, and Andrea Thompson, Under-Secretary of State for Arms Controls and International Security, express their “deep concern” that the rules agreed for the European Defence Fund (EDF) and for permanent structured cooperation would result in “duplication, non-interoperable military systems, the diversion of limited defence resources and unnecessary competition between NATO and the EU”.
These rules limit the participation of non-Member States in the EDF (see EUROPE 12249/19) and Member States have still not agreed on the rules on the participation of third countries in PESCO projects.
“It is clear that similar reciprocally imposed US restrictions would not be welcomed by our European partners and allies, and we would not relish having to consider them in the future”, warn Mrs Lord and Mrs Thompson (see EUROPE 12136/18). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)