Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the recent report from the 13 member state independent European programme group of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on armament development and procurement.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe European defence industry study was commissioned by IEPG Defence Ministers with the aim of identifying ways in which the competitiveness of Europe's defence industries might be enhanced. It was carried out by a group of eminent individuals under the chairmanship of Mr. Vredeling of the Netherlands. The group recommended a range of measures, including increased collaboration in defence research and the development of a more open and competitive European market in defence equipment.
IEPG Defence Ministers welcomed the report at their meeting last june. In particular, they agreed to press ahead with the IEPG's work on generating more joint research projects; and they tasked their armament directors to make proposals for the framework of a scheme within which a more open defence equipment market might be developed, for their consideration at their next ministerial meeting in the autumn.