Brussels, 10/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Europe of defence is spinning its web. According to recent statements by the Greek Minister of Defence, Yannos Papantoniou, the establishment of a European Agency for Arms is likely to be included on the agenda of the European Spring Summit of 20 and 21 March (see EUROPE of 20 February, p.6). In the meantime, the European Commission is to present a communication setting out the broad guidelines for creating the foundations for a Community policy on defence equipment.
The communication, on European Defence: issues relating to the industry and the market, from the viewpoint of a Community policy for defence equipment, the communication states the challenges Europe has to face to allow a Community munitions industry to emerge: - improved standardisation, concluding the standardisation work in the sector undertaken as of 1998 on a voluntary basis; installation, together with Eurostat, a statistical watchdog on data on the sector and on the munitions market; - simplification of procedures on inter-community exchanges and installation of a global authority replacing national licences for products coming from trans-national industrial co-operations or intergovernmental programmes; - standardisation of control procedures for the export of dual-use products, civil and military; - adaptation of Community framework for public markets and provisions for competition for products arms industry products.