Memorandum from EADS UK
We fully share the concerns raised by some of
the members of your Committee during a recent evidence-taking
session about the Treaty's effectiveness for key elements of the
UK industrial defence base/companies with a significant presence
in the UK but whose main shareholding is held elsewhere.
EADS, with its substantial Airbus, Astrium and
Newport businesses (together around 16,000 people) fits into this
category. Given the importance of Airbus military products like
the FSTA, or A400M, to strategic airborne capabilities of the
future, we would be concerned if EADS, or indeed some of our frequent
partner companies in the UK, whether American like GD, or French
like Thales (mission training systems) were not included on the
list of approved UK companies. We can only applaud the work of
the Committee in highlighting these issues, and hopefully influencing
those negotiating on behalf of the Government.
3 December 2007
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