ASD Considerations On The Proposed Defence-Related Research Preparatory Action

ASD, representing European defence industries, welcomes the intention of the European Commission to support the European defence sector through a defence research programme. The proposed PA on CSDP-related research is a major milestone in this respect and should pave the way to a fully-fledged EU defence research programme as part of the next Multi-annual Financial Framework (2021-2027).
The purpose of this Position Paper is to identify conditions which must be fulfilled to ensure that the PA becomes a success. It contains particular observations and recommendations on the overall strategy, rules and conditions, work programme and operational procedures for the PA.
This Position Paper does not pretend to give exhaustive answers to all pertinent questions. It is conceived as a first written contribution from industry, made at this early stage of the process. Further work at technical and political level will be necessary to resolve all outstanding issues, in particular the governance, the programme set-up, the technical priorities, and the market uptake. European industry is willing to contribute to this process through ASD.