High Level Conference "Defence and Security Industries and Markets", Brussels
In times of fiscal restraints with national defence budgets under pressure, the internal market for defence goods will get a boost with the forthcoming transposition of the two defence directives in June and August 2011.
They intend to overcome the fragmentation of the European defence market. The first directive alleviates obstacles to intra-EU trade whilst the second directive streamlines national procurement award procedures. At a conference on situation and outlook of the European Defence industry in Brussels today European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani and Commissioner Michel Barnier called upon Member States to actively reap the benefits of the new framework. Until now - divergent national regulations have created red tape, hampered innovation and competitiveness and, ultimately, weakened the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
