English: EUROPEAN DEFENCE EQUIPMENT MARKET The EDA Steering Board, recalling the Conclusions of its second meeting on 22 November 2004, and its direction to the Agency to bring forward proposals on the European Defence Equipment Market (EDEM); recalling subsequent direction given by the Steering Board, meeting in National Armaments Directors (NADs) formation on 2 March 2005, on a work programme to provide the basis for a decision on whether or not to proceed with a voluntary, nonbinding intergovernmental regime to encourage competition in defence procurement in the Article 296 area on a fair and transparent basis; recalling the European Commission’s efforts to facilitate the development of a more integrated EDEM, pursuant to its September 2004 Green Paper on Defence Procurement; reaffirming the importance they attach to the development of an internationally competitive European Defence Equipment Market, as a key means to strengthen the European defence technological and industrial base; noting that subscription to such a voluntary, non-binding regime would be without prejudice to the subscribing Member States’ rights and obligations under the Treaties and their national legislation and international obligations; noting the desirability of the widest possible participation in the regime, but that not all pMS might be ready to join at the outset, or indeed later; noting that a number of closely associated issues, whilst not constituting a bar to early implementation of the regime, would require further work to enable the improvement of the regime over time; Has decided, at its meeting of 21 November 2005: to implement, from 1 July 2006, a voluntary, non-binding intergovernmental regime to encourage competition in defence procurement in the Art. 296 area – the regime to be operated on the basis of the principles and practices set out in the attached Code of Conduct; to direct the Agency, in close cooperation with participating Member States (pMS), to: develop a single portal for announcement of all new contracting opportunities, and 359
French: EUROPEAN DEFENCE EQUIPMENT MARKET The EDA Steering Board, recalling the Conclusions of its second meeting on 22 November 2004, and its direction to the Agency to bring forward proposals on the European Defence Equipment Market (EDEM); recalling subsequent direction given by the Steering Board, meeting in National Armaments Directors (NADs) formation on 2 March 2005, on a work programme to provide the basis for a decision on whether or not to proceed with a voluntary, nonbinding intergovernmental regime to encourage competition in defence procurement in the Article 296 area on a fair and transparent basis; recalling the European Commission’s efforts to facilitate the development of a more integrated EDEM, pursuant to its September 2004 Green Paper on Defence Procurement; reaffirming the importance they attach to the development of an internationally competitive European Defence Equipment Market, as a key means to strengthen the European defence technological and industrial base; noting that subscription to such a voluntary, non-binding regime would be without prejudice to the subscribing Member States’ rights and obligations under the Treaties and their national legislation and international obligations; noting the desirability of the widest possible participation in the regime, but that not all pMS might be ready to join at the outset, or indeed later; noting that a number of closely associated issues, whilst not constituting a bar to early implementation of the regime, would require further work to enable the improvement of the regime over time; Has decided, at its meeting of 21 November 2005: to implement, from 1 July 2006, a voluntary, non-binding intergovernmental regime to encourage competition in defence procurement in the Art. 296 area – the regime to be operated on the basis of the principles and practices set out in the attached Code of Conduct; to direct the Agency, in close cooperation with participating Member States (pMS), to: develop a single portal for announcement of all new contracting opportunities, and 378