Twenty-eight companies, including Italian, Spanish, Swedish, German and other European companies, “members of Europe’s aerospace and defence ecosystem”, including Airbus, Fincantieri, Rheinmetall and Saab - but not Dassault or Thalès - set out their views on the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) regulation in a joint letter sent to EU Member States on Tuesday 24 September.
While recognising that many EU defence products with non-EU content could benefit from EDIP, these companies believe that the design authority for the product concerned should be located in the EU or an associated country. “This means that an eligible entity has the full capacity to decide, without restrictions, on the definition, adaptation, integration and evolution of the product”. Nor should the product be subject to restrictions from non-associated third countries (i.e. outside the EU, Norway and Ukraine) or third-country entities that would limit the ability of any Member State or associated country to use it, the companies add.
In their view, support for the purchase or production of EU defence products with non-European content should have a minimum of 65% European content, as is the case for EDIRPA. “At the same time, we must not rule out the possibility of bonuses for European content rates above the threshold, or incentives to reach it”, they add. According to these industries, a “solid, transparent and binding” common methodology for calculating the level of European content in defence products is essential to guarantee a level playing field. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)