Defence`s Feeds

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Did you know that cooperative projects and programmes run by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and benefiting from EDA added-value are now eligible for VAT exemption?

This important change, which came into effect following the adoption of the revised EDA Council Decision in October 2015, benefits all participants in EDA projects and programmes and can therefore act as an important incentive for enhanced defence cooperation.

In order to provide interested parties with all the necessary details, EDA has now published a “Guide to VAT exemption” explaining all important aspects of the new measure such as its legal basis, conditions and implications, frequently asked questions as well as the practical steps which have to be followed by Member States and EDA to benefit from the exemption.

The “Guide to VAT exemption for EDA ad hoc projects and programmes” is available here.

More information:

• News "VAT Exemption: New Incentive for Defence Cooperation" (4 November 2015)

Speaking this Wednesday (13 April) before the Defence Committee of the German Bundestag in Berlin, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq has called for a profound reassessment of Europe’s common security and defence-related aspirations and endeavours for the future, to make sure the EU has a clear vision on the sort of project it wants for the next decade.

“Europe is being shaped in reaction to crises. We need a positive story, a new narrative for Europe. I am personally convinced that defence and security can become the drivers for the European project”, Mr Domecq said. The EU’s collective level of ambition should include the ability to protect its citizens, to secure its direct neighbourhood (East and South), and to enable and support its partners to become security providers themselves, he stressed. “Protect, secure, enable. This should be at the very heart of the Global Strategy” which High Representative Federica Mogherini is set to present in summer, Mr Domecq stated.

However, he continued, “such a vision needs to be put into motion and will therefore require investment, support of EU instruments, capabilities and a strong industrial base”. As far as military capabilities are concerned, Mr Domecq called for more cooperative programmes. “Member States face the stark choice between cooperating to acquire new capabilities or risk losing them altogether”, he said. “While there are many political declarations calling for more cooperation, the reality is that we face the renationalisation of defence. In the past, we carried out more cooperative programmes than we do today; we used to cooperate more in research and technology; we created instruments such as OCCAR or the European Defence Agency which has a strong European conviction. But today, Member States seem to be shying away from cooperation, there seems to be too much of conservatism in ministries of defence”, he said.

The EDA Chief Executive commended Germany for being “a driving force in Europe”. “I sincerely hope that, with the support of State Secretary Suder and (Lieutenant) General Bühler, as Chairman of the EDA Steering Board of Capability Directors, with whom I work very closely, we will take European defence to a new level, taking advantage of the context of the Global Strategy and potential European Defence White Book. Europe can simply no longer afford to be a free-rider in defence”, Mr Domecq concluded.

More information:

• Full speech of Mr Domecq

Australian Anzac Class Multi-Role Frigate

Since the creation of the European Defence Agency in 2004, support to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and to EU operations has been one of EDA's core missions. Several activities are now ongoing to develop the support of CSDP military and civilian operations or missions as well as EU Battlegroups at the request of Member States.

Typically, CSDP operations and missions are deployed on short notice to manage crisis in remote areas. In some cases, shortfalls on assets and equipment arising from the force generation have led to outsourcing some key services. This has been the case for in-theatre rotary wing medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) in the CSDP military training mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) or the CSDP civilian rule of law mission in Kosovo (EULEX Kosovo).

In order to better understand the range of commercially available solutions which could fulfil possible future requirements for in-theatre helicopter MEDEVAC services and associated risks or limitations, EDA is conducting a market survey. It has to be highlighted that the objective of this survey is to identify service providers of ‘turnkey’ solutions and not manufacturers of assets or supply providers. 

Operators are kindly invited to participate to the survey by submitting their answer by 6 May 2016.

More information:

• MEDEVAC market survey information
• Operations support project page

Against the background of Moscow’s historical ties with Syria, Joris Couvreur critically assesses Russia’s recent surprise military intervention in the conflict in Syria, especially with respect to achieving a durable peaceful settlement.

The post Disentangling the Syrian conflict: the Russian card, a game changer? appeared first on European Geostrategy.

The latest response to the situation of refugees in the European Union is the "European Agenda on Migration", which aims to strengthen the common migration and asylum policy. This leaflet provides extracts from relevant supporting analyses prepared by European Parliament’s policy departments for different EP's committees.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP