REPORT
Current Developments in European
Defence Policy
1. In this Report we make available, for the
information of the House, the oral evidence given to Sub-Committee
C (Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development Policy) by Mr Andrew
Mathewson, Director for Policy on International Organisations,
Mr Robert Regan, Director, International Relations Group,
Defence Equipment and Support and Mr Ian Hall, Head of Research
Collaboration, Ministry of Defence, on 26 June 2008.
2. Key topics in the evidence are:
- the European Defence Agency (EDA)
budget and European defence spending, value for money issues (QQ 1,
2, 5-7, 9, 18-20);
- the size and focus of the EDA Work Programme
and the desirability of a linkage between the Financial Framework
and the Work Programme (QQ 1-3);
- the future of the EDA, including Permanent Structured
Cooperation, after the Irish "No" vote on the Lisbon
Treaty (QQ 3, 4, 43);
- the issues surrounding the UK's non-participation
in projects in the Joint Investment Programme on research into
Innovative Concepts and Emerging Technologies and the Force Protection
Joint Investment Programme (QQ 10-16);
- Research and Development in Europe including
the relative contributions of different European nations (QQ 17,
18);
- discussion of the value of collaboration between
groups of countries with special interests or expertise (QQ 19,
20);
- the EDA's and European Commission's work on the
European Defence Technological and Industrial Base strategy (EDTIB);
the competitive defence industry in Europe (Q 21);
- defence sales in the USA (Q 22);
- the UK's Defence Industrial Strategy (Q 22);
- the need for global procurement in order to acquire
the best capability and interoperability (QQ 25-27);
- the availability of helicopters for demanding
operations (QQ 9, 28);
- the European Commission's Defence Package, including
the Directive on the coordination of procedures for the award
of certain public works contracts or defence works contracts;
opening up markets (QQ 29, 30, 32-39);
- problems associated with the operation of Article
296 and the Code of Conduct, including the role of the European
Court of Justice (QQ 29-31, 36, 37);
- classified projects and the definition of the
security sector (QQ 34-38);
- preparations for Battlegroups and the availability
of troops in the light of competing demands (QQ 40, 41);
- the possible use of Battlegroups for the evacuation
of British citizens in a crisis (Q 42).
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