French MEP Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe) denounced, in a press release issued on Thursday 23 January, a call for tenders for a drone service launched by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, which, according to the criteria set, would de facto exclude European companies and favour US drones.
According to the MEP, by asking for the drone to have a 20-hour surveillance autonomy, the Frontex call for tenders - launched at the end of 2019 for a contract estimated at €50 million and renewable twice for a period of one year - would in fact be calibrated for the characteristics of the Reaper drone manufactured by US manufacturer GA-ASI. In addition, the MEP notes that Frontex has introduced an exception in its call for tenders (Annex I of the call for tenders) explicitly giving the possibility to economic operators from non-Member State to participate.
According to Mr Grudler, European companies can offer the same autonomy, but by networking two drones for "an equivalent cost" (such as Leonardo, Eurodrone or Patroller). Problem is, Frontex's specifications require it to be a single drone.
The MEP, who is vice-coordinator for his group in the European Parliament's Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), said he had alerted the Court of Justice of the European Union and called on the European Commission.
To consult the Frontex call for tenders: http://bit.ly/2tKGYGI (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)