SBAC supports new market opening role for the European Defence Agency

(Paris, 5 December 2005) -- “UK industry supports a strong market-opening role for the European Defence Agency (EDA)” said Derek Marshall, SBAC’s Director of Aerospace Defence and Homeland Security.

Speaking at the French Centre for Higher Armaments Studies in Paris, he gave industrial support to the position of Nick Witney, EDA’s Chief Executive, saying:


“The recent agreement by EU states to introduce a voluntary Code of Conduct for defence procurement is a crucial step in opening up Europe’s closed national markets. The clear position taken by the President of the AeroSpace Industries Association of Europe, Tom Enders, that national governments should accept EDA oversight of national procurement, should be accompanied by a strong drive from EDA to encourage collaboration between EU governments and to identify and tackle gaps in European defence and security capability.”

Derek Marshall added:
“It is vital that market opening measures and industrial policies in the EU are applied together in an intelligent way. It is not practicable or sensible to close the European market to US and other non-EU countries. Policy-makers should find ways to encourage non-EU companies to invest in Europe’s defence and security capability, and to stimulate R&T and innovation that increased the intellectual property available in Europe, regardless of the ownership of the companies involved. In the longer-term, better ways have to be found to share technology across national borders, including through transatlantic co-operation.”

Notes
SBAC is the national trade association representing suppliers to the civil air transport, aerospace defence and space markets operating in the UK economy. It represents over 2,600 companies, assisting them in developing new business globally, facilitates innovation and competitiveness and provides regulatory services in technical standards and accreditation. To know more go to: www.sbac.co.uk
At present, the UK has the world’s largest aerospace industry outside the USA. UK based aerospace activity had a turnover of more than £17bn in 2004, supporting a highly skilled workforce of over 255,000 people.

ASD is the AeroSpace Industries Association of Europe. It represents the aeronautics, space and defence industries in Europe in all matters of common interest with the objective of promoting and supporting the competitive development of the sector. It pursues joint industry actions which require to be dealt with on a European level or which concern issues of an agreed transnational nature, and generates common industry positions on economic and technical topics. To know more go to: http://www.asd-europe.org/main.html

The European Defence Agency (EDA) is an Agency of the European Union and was established by a Joint Action of the Council of Ministers on 12 July, 2004 "to support the Member States in their effort to improve European defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the European Security And Defense Policy as it stands now and develops in the future".

The EDA has four main functions, relating to: defence capabilities development; armaments co-operation; the European defence technological and industrial base and defence equipment market; research and technology. For more information, please visit http://www.eda.eu.int


For more information contact:
Derek Marshall, Director of Aerospace and Homeland Security, SBAC
Tel: 020 7227 1018 / Derek.marshall@sbac.co.uk or
Paul Everitt, Communications Director, SBAC
Tel: 020 7227 1021 / paul.everitt@sbac.co.uk

Source : SBAC