Tom Middendorp, Dutch envoy for the European Defence Fund (EDF) and former commander-in-chief of the Dutch armed forces, argued on Thursday 6 February in Brussels for a European defence fund that is as inclusive as possible.
One of his country’s priorities, he says, is to enable new SMEs to participate in the fund. “We need to open up our supply chain”, he told a small group of journalists, including EUROPE, arguing that equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in Europe have a kind of ‘community of trust’ to build capacity.
And for Gen Middendorp, in order to be able to adopt new technologies and bring in new knowledge, it is necessary to work with other types of SMEs, civil, especially in the field of ICT or ‘green’ technology. “The fund should promote inclusiveness”, the Dutch envoy insisted, calling for incentive benefits for these companies.
Gen Middendorp also felt that the approach should not be prescriptive. This would, in his view, avoid having to determine in advance a solution that could only be provided by one supplier.
The Dutch envoy also stressed that the EDF should allow for more cohesion in the EU and the development of synergies. “It is important that it is done in such a way that it can benefit all Member States”, he stressed. For this, he said, transparency and open calls for proposals are necessary.
And while the Netherlands is one of the so-called “frugal” countries on the future EU budget, Gen Middendorp said that for his country, defence and the EDF were priorities. “We would like to put as much money as possible into the new ambitions, the modernisation of the EU, including the field of defence”, he said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)