The European Defence Agency presented the European Defence Standards Reference system (EDSTAR) portal which replaces the European Handbook for Defence Procurement (EHDP). The new portal contains references to “Best practice” standards and "standard-like" specifications. EDSTAR is to be used by governmental organisations and defence industry for the procurement of defence materiel (including development and production).

The new European Defence Standards Reference System portal launched by the European Defence agency is addressed to members of Project Teams in national governmental procurement authorities or in multinational Project Teams/procurement agencies; and it provides support in order to select the most appropriate standards and "standard-like" documents (“Best Practice Standards”) when deciding upon technical specifications, especially for members of Project Teams in defence industries. In July 2011, the EDA also published its intention of seeking better procurement methods.

EDSTAR, which is the successor of the European Handbook for Defence Procurement (EHDP), also provides support in order to assist with the selection of the most appropriate standards and "standard-like" documents (“Best Practice Standards”) when drafting specifications for their sub-contractors. Beside references to the Best Practice Standards, EDSTAR also provides detailed “Best Practice Recommendations” for the application of the recommended standards in a number of Technical Domains.

The main purpose of this portal is to consolidate the highly fragmented defence materiel market in Europe. According to EDA, commonly accepted standards supports and promotes greater interoperability of defence equipment.