Timo Pesonen, Director General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) of the European Commission, Stijn Mols, Head of Division for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service, and Emilio Fajardo, Director at the European Defence Agency, took stock on Wednesday 26 October of the progress made by the Defence Joint Procurement Task Force set up in June.
According to Mr Fajardo, as a first step, the working group took stock of the available data and an inventory of the most urgent needs, especially for restocking. He explained that the Member States had highlighted medical equipment, nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical (CBRN) weapons, anti-tank systems, missiles, ammunition, explosives, mortars, air defence missiles and handguns as areas of common interest.
“After looking at the demand side, we are going to look at the supply side”, Mr Fajardo told the European Parliament’s Security and Defence Subcommittee (SEDE). The Task Force will contact the defence industries to see the gaps, the difference between supply and demand.
“We need to gather relevant information to help the industry. Once the needs are identified, Member States will have to identify opportunities for a public defence market”, explained Mr Pesonen. Mr Mols said the working group would not prescribe what to buy and from whom, a prerogative that belongs to the Member States.
Mr Pesonen said that the 'EDIRPA' instrument (European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act), proposed in July, was urgent and that it was crucial that Member States speed up the process (EUROPE 12996/5). “Hopefully it will be approved soon and considered a priority”, he added.
Defence ministers could discuss this on 15 November. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)