This event is the third in the series “Overcoming Obstacles on the Way Towards a European Army” jointly organised by the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation for Freedom (FNF) & EUROMIL.

Among the main targets of European defence initiatives is the fragmentation and inefficiency of the European defence market. European Union member states currently procure 80% of their defence equipment nationally. According to a European Commission estimate, this leads to a loss of around 50 billion € in opportunity costs per year. Fostering a more collaborative defence market will be a key if policy makers in Europe wish for more capable and interoperable armed forces.

But how would a more efficient market look like in terms of the arms industry, export rules and procurement practice? What can the EU and its member states do to make the required changes happen? Does Europe need a common defence market in order to have a European army?

Welcome:

Sebastian Vagt, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom

Speakers:

Pierre Delsaux, Deputy Director-General, DG GROW, European Commission

Burkhard Schmitt, Defence and Security Director, ASD Europe

Moderator:

Kai Küstner, Brussels Correspondent, ARD, German Radio

Closing Remarks:

Emmanuel Jacob, European Organisation of Military Associations