Collaboration and European defence industrial policy

Traditionally, the EU has protected its national defence industries (through Article 296). There are now policy initiatives to create a European defence equipment market (EDEM) and a European defence technology and industrial base (EDTIB). This article assesses these policy initiatives. It considers the EU as an inefficient defence market and also considers the opportunities for creating an efficient defence industrial policy. Collaboration has been a distinctive feature of European defence industrial policy and a case study of the Typhoon is presented and assessed. Finally, criteria for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the EDTIB are presented.