Resolution on European defence industries

The European Parliament adopted a resolution of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on defence industries. Whereas the remaining deficiencies of European military capabilities in the field of intelligence, logistics, communications and air transport systems, despite the Member States' cumulative defence budget which was the equivalent of about 60% of the US defence budget - although the return is only the equivalent of 10% - MEPs reiterated their view that a strong, efficient and viable European armaments industry and an effective procurement policy were vital to the development of the ESDP. The European Parliament supported the current efforts to restructure and rationalise, called for defence standardisation and the creation of a European Armaments Agency and asked public bodies to support these developments. It called upon the Commission to develop an updated Action Plan to consider the extent to which the EU's common commercial policy and the discipline of the Single Market should be applied to the defence industries, to study the creation of an Advisory Committee of Aeronautics Research in Europe so that European research in the defence field could be better pooled and coordinated, the establishment of transnational companies and the integration of the industries in the accession countries. Lastly, the effective application of the Code of Conduct on Arms Exports should be an integral part of Community arms policy, should be legally binding and should come under Community competence. The adopted text urged the Member States to give absolute priority to fulfilling the objectives of the ESDP, whilst maintaining the dialogue with the United States with a view to trans-Atlantic consolidation and mergers. �