The Opinion Paper on the current state of the European defence industry adopted by the European Economic and Social Committee calls for a “radical” change of mindset in the way governments deal with defence. It also welcomes the creation of the Task Force on Defence.

The European Economic and Social Committee adopted the Opinion entitled ‘The need for a European defence industry: industrial, innovative and social aspects’, which calls for a stronger and more integrated European defence sector. It also suggests that obsolete approaches visibly lead to increasing fragmentation, gaps, overcapacity and a lack of interoperability in European defence capabilities. Furthermore, it makes the point that foreign affairs and security, defence, and industrial capability are all deeply interrelated, and must be integrated into a coherent strategy.

The report welcomes the creation of the Task Force on Defence, and the personal commitment of many senior EU officials to the cause of an effective national defence. The authors argue that the European Defence Agency in particular has a key role to play, and that it must act as a full partner to the European Commission on defence issues – with the full involvement also of the defence industry and other stakeholders. In 2010, total defence spending by European Defence Agency remained constant at €194 billion.

The Research and Development is an area particularly highlighted in the report, which has seen many cuts in recent years, but which remains absolutely crucial to an effective defence in the long term. The report concludes that European research spending should seek opportunities for “dual use” investments and reduce technological dependency on sources outside Europe.