Press Release: Public procurement: Commission consults on more open and efficient defence procurement

The European Commission has published a consultative Green Paper on how to improve cross-border competition in certain types of defence procurement in a way consistent with the special nature of the sector, 23 September 2004. EU law (Article 296 EC) does not require competition in procuring supplies, works and services intended for specifically military purposes and crucial to national security. However, the Commission wants to help Member States to get better value in the € 30 billion plus EU market for defence procurement and to help EU defence industries to be more competitive, by providing guidance on how EC Treaty exceptions and requirements should be interpreted.

European Commission: MEMO/04/222 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/04/222&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: DG Internal Market: Consultations: Green Paper on Defence Procurement http://ec.europa.eu/comm/internal_market/consultations/index_en.htm

European Commission: DG Enterprise: Industry sectors: Defence http://ec.europa.eu/comm/enterprise/defence/index.htm

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52004DC0608 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52004DC0608

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