For fifteen years the geopolitical context has been constantly evolving, and the Europeans’ determination jointly to procure the means to assure their security and defence has become increasingly apparent. At the same time, European industry has seen a broad move to consolidate in the field of aerospace and electronics. Numerous obstacles still stand in the way of the development of the Defence Technological and Industrial Base, however. That is why the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe is backing several European defence R&T projects: a strategic research agenda, more cooperative projects, the creation of technological centres of excellence and a technology ‘incubator’. Moreover, the setting up of a true European defence market is necessary to guarantee European industry’s competitiveness. And the emergence of a security market is now a real possibility, given the increasingly important place occupied by technologies in both the security and defence domains.
Defence and Security: what are the Stakes for European industry?
The worldwide geopolitical environment has been radically different and in constant change for 15 years compared with the international system which characterised the entire period of the Cold War, based on the balance of deterrence. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the threats have constantly changed, becoming increasingly asymmetrical. In this respect, the most striking events have been the 9/11 attacks and bombings in Madrid and London. The definitions of needs and capabilities required to face these new threats have consequently changed a lot.
Progress in the EU
During the same period, a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) was initiated with the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and the same year the definition of the missions that the Europeans would jointly carry out, known as ‘Petersberg missions’. Throughout this decade, the ambition of Europeans to obtain joint instruments in the fields of security and defence became stronger: creation of the position of High Representative for CFSP by the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997 and launching of the Helsinki Headline Goal process to develop future capabilities in 1999. In the past three years, European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) has gained a new dimension with the multiplication of the missions carried out by the EU in Europe and elsewhere in the world on the one hand and the setting up of the European Defence Agency (EDA) on the other.
Industrial Consolidation
In parallel with this policy towards a more integrated Union in the area of defence and security, the European industry underwent important changes, in particular a significant move of consolidation in the field of aeronautics and electronics at the end of 1990s, with the creation of the Franco-German EADS company, the internationalisation of Thales and Finmeccanica and the strengthening of the transatlantic dimension of BAE Systems. This first wave of consolidation, which is today complete, has been very successful. It has rationalised the offer and improved the competitiveness of European industry in worldwide markets. According to the European defence industry, it is of paramount importance to maintain and even amplify this move so that all our sectors of activity, including naval and land components, benefit from it in the coming years.
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