Whitney & the EDA React to CSIS Report on European Defense Industry

The EU’s European Defense Agency (EDA) has an ambitious agenda to rationalize Europe’s defense industry and open up arms procurement, even as observers note Europe’s steadily-declining military capabilities that are trending toward a crisis point of relevance. DID recently covered a major defence-related report from the transatlantic CSIS think-tank, and EDA head Nick Whitney’s response to that report helps underline the overall thrust of his agency’s efforts. As he noted, in the midst of a generally positive reaction to CSIS’ document: “…governments and industries have distinct roles – and things generally go along better if both parties remember that. The EDA is a creation of governments – so, in addressing the industrial and technological aspects of European defence integration as you have asked me to do, I shall concentrate on some of the challenges that I believe European defence ministries – my shareholders – are faced with.” DID has summarized these seven challenges as follows; the full entries can be found in the text of Whitney’s speech: * The first is to place the right requirements on industry. * Second, governments have an obligation to try to point the way ahead. * Third, governments must pool their requirements. * Fourth, […]