European Defence Policy: Only smarter spending will bring down costs

EP Foreign Affairs Committee calls for more research and procurement co-operation

EU Member States must pool more defence research and procurement projects at European level in order to achieve synergies, the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs said today, adopting a Report by the EPP Group’s Coordinator on Security and Defence issues, Michael Gahler MEP.

“In times of severe budget constraints, smarter spending through an increased level of co-operation is the only way to keep Europe’s technological lead and bring down costs”, Gahler said. We also need to retain an industrial base of our own in order to be able to autonomously conduct the agreed CSDP missions.

The Committee called for a structured approach to future defence projects through the European Defence Agency (EDA), including a joint life-cycle management for armaments projects and the development of joint industrial standards: “The times of purely national research and procurement projects are over. The European Defence Agency offers the possibilities to spend less and achieve more. Member States must overcome national prestige projects and work through the EDA”, Gahler said.

The Opinion Rapporteur for the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee, Jean-Pierre Audy MEP, added: "The time has come for Europe to have a technological and industrial base of quality which will be an essential part of a strong European defence policy. We must support our defence industry and strengthen research in this field. We also need to pool our resources and do our utmost to prevent duplication and waste.”