Paris, 10 April 2008 – On Tuesday 8 April the Assembly organised a seminar on “Defence equipment procurement in Europe” at John Moore’s University in Liverpool, the European Capital of Culture. The aim of this seminar, attended by some 60 participants, was to take stock of the defence equipment procurement situation in Europe and propose ways of enhancing efficiency and transparency in this area. Some 15 representatives of governments, industry, the European Commission and the European Defence Agency presented their views of the problems and possible solutions for helping Europe to move forward in this strategic area.

The event was organised in cooperation with Selex Communications, a subsidiary of Italy’s Finmeccanica group. The proceedings were opened by the Chairman of the Technological and Aerospace Committee, Edward O’Hara MP. The first sitting was devoted to the views of governments, as represented by David Ferbrache from the British Ministry of Defence, speaking on behalf of Baroness Taylor, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Mr Marjan Senica, Deputy National Armaments Director in the Slovenian Defence Ministry (representing the Slovenian EU Presidency), Mr Gaël Denis from the French procurement agency DGA and General Claudio Tozzi, representing Italy’s National Armaments Director.

The second sitting focused on the industrial perspective. The speakers were Rear Admiral Rees Ward, Director General of the British Defence Manufacturers Association, Admiral Alain Coldefy, Vice-President of EADS and Mr John Howe, Vice-President of Thales UK.

Robert Walter MP, Chairman of the Defence Committee, chaired the third sitting on the EU’s European defence equipment market initiatives. The speakers were Burkard Schmitt, from the European Commission, Stavros Kyrimis from the European Defence Agency, François Rouvroi from OCCAR and Benoît Hancart from Thales Alenia Space.

There was also a presentation on Selex Communications and the activities of its Liverpool site.

On 9 April the participants visited BAE Systems at Warton, where they were welcomed by Peter Anstiss and Bill Giles, who briefed them on the activities of the Military Air Solutions division of BAE Systems and on the company’s position with regard to European Commission and European Defence Agency initiatives on the European defence equipment market. The Assembly members visited the final assembly facilities for Eurofighter-Typhoon, the European combat aircraft, and the flight line for the Hawk British training aircraft.

The content and conclusions of this seminar will be the subject of a report and draft recommendation to be submitted by the Technological and Aerospace Committee to the Assembly’s plenary session being held from 3-5 June 2008 in Paris. This document will be available on the Assembly’s website (www.assembly-weu.eu) in May 2008.