WRITTEN QUESTION E-1434/99 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. European defence industry ‐ Companies in the Spanish military naval sector ‐ The case of Bazán (Ferrol).
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU policy, Spain, arms industry, defence policy, industrial restructuring, shipbuilding, transnational corporation

C 170 E/12

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

€ 49 999, at least three tenders must be considered before a contractor is chosen. If the value is between
€ 50 000 and € 133 914, the contractor is chosen after an invitation to tender following a selection
procedure which is generally based on an initial call for expressions of interest. The public procurement
Directives must be applied in the case of contracts worth over € 133 914, since all study contracts are
covered by Annex IA to the service contracts Directive (except certain contracts in category 8 (research
and development)).

Prime responsibility for conducting award procedures objectively and in accordance with the rules rests
with the authorising officers in the various Directorates-General. As part of the SEM 2000 (Sound and
the financial units in each Directorate-General were given a more
efficient management) exercise,
substantial role with a view, among other things, to improving the Commission(cid:146)s contractual practices.

All contracts worth over € 46 000 and not related to external aid are referred to the Commission(cid:146)s
Advisory Committee on Purchases and Contracts, which checks that the relevant principles and rules have
been followed.

Financial Control carries out selective ex ante checks on budgetary commitments relating to contracts,
which cover, among other things, compliance with the rules on the award of contracts. Award procedures
are also subjected to scrutiny by way of internal audits carried out by Financial Control.

The Secretariat-General
is responsible for general coordination of all studies proposed by Commission
departments, the aim being to avoid duplication and improve transparency between Directorates-General.
When a contractual commitment is made, the study is entered in the ADAM database, which includes all
studies undertaken by the Commission and is accessible to the public.

Finally, once a study has been completed, a factsheet must be drawn up containing the following
title, brief summary, evaluation and publication references (if any). The study,
information: subject,
together with the factsheet and final payment order,
is then placed in the historical archives of the
Secretariat-General, which endorses the payment order and submits it to the Financial Controller for his
approval before payment.

As regards the choice of the restricted procedure, the public procurement Directives impose no limits on
cases where it may be applied, thereby putting it on a par with the open procedure. A restricted procedure
can be a judicious choice from the point of view of both the need to attract tenders of a high standard and
administrative efficiency. Nevertheless, it is crucial that candidates are chosen on the basis of objective
criteria. The Honourable Member is asked to notify the Commission, whenever he sees fit, of any case
where use of a so-called restricted procedure has led to unfair competition.

(1) OJ L 199, 9.8.1993.
(2) OJ L 199, 9.8.1993.
(3) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.
(4) OJ L 356, 31.12.1977.

(2000/C 170 E/012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1434/99

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: European defence industry (cid:129) Companies in the Spanish military naval sector (cid:129) The case of

BazÆn (Ferrol)

In the Commission Communication of December 1997 on the situation of the defence-related industries
(COM(97) 0583 final) the establishment of an integrated European market for defence products is regarded
as essential and a global approach (in the form of an action plan for a European armaments policy) is
proposed for the purpose of implementing such a strategy.

The common position proposed at that time by the Commission was to be revised eighteen months later
and that time limit has just recently expired.

20.6.2000

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/13

Furthermore, the statement issued on 20 April 1998 by the Defence Ministers of France, Germany, Italy
and Spain, in which they reaffirmed their commitment to speeding up the consolidation of the European
defence industry, was followed by a Letter of Intent signed in July 1998 by the Defence Ministers of the
above countries, together with Sweden and the United Kingdom.

In the statement made at the Cologne European Council in June of this year (on which occasion a genuine
European pillar seemed to have been established) the political will to promote the restructuring of the
defence industry was expressed.

In view of the above, can the Commission say how all of this may affect Spanish companies in the miliary
sector (with particular reference to the potential for setting up transnational defence companies) and
specifically the BazÆn company and its factory at Ferrol (Galicia)?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(13 October 1999)

The Commission feels that the Community must have a defence-linked industry that is both competitive
and dynamic. In two communications (1) (2), specifically devoted to that subject it insisted on the urgent
need for restructuring this sector at European level and on the need in parallel to this, to lay the legal
foundations, enabling a European defence market to emerge.

Although the responsibility for that restructuring lies primarily with the companies involved themselves,
the defence industry will continue to be politically sensitive. Governmental
involvement is crucial as
regards that restructuring, and the Member States must take any action needed in order to encourage and
support the creation of truly European companies. Even where a Member State has no direct shareholding
that State(cid:146)s influence derives from its position as a major customer, from its financial support for research
and development (R&D), from its launch aid for programmes, its authority in controlling exports and its
powers of certification.

In view of the aims set out in the letter of intent signed in June 1998 and of the declarations made at the
Cologne European Council in June 1999 the Member States would now seem to want to concentrate on
producing an internal market and to give companies more latitude in forging their alliances. The
Commission fully subscribes to that general approach, which it has called for in its communications.

Moreover, as regards the changes hoped for by the companies themselves in the form of more cross-
border alliances, the Commission can, in principle, only welcome these. This being so, it is in the specific
case of the BazÆn company, up to that company itself to map out its own strategy as regards industrial
alliances, where appropriate in conjunction with the Spanish Government.

The common position put forward by the Commission in its 1997 communication (1).
discussed within the Council.
Commission in line with its action plan in support of the defence industries (2).

is still being
Its adoption would bolster the action currently being taken by the

(1) COM(97) 583 final.
(2) COM(96) 10 final.

(2000/C 170 E/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1436/99

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Spanish Government plan to draw up and adopt a (cid:145)geographical mobility plan(cid:146)

On 1 June 1999 the Spanish Government announced that
intended to draw up and adopt a
(cid:145)geographical mobility plan(cid:146) with the aim of transferring labour towards the Mediterranean on the pretext

it