PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that co-operation in the European Union’s defence industry needed to be enhanced, including by the introduction of measures to favour EU companies on strategic issues.
“We need to…have a stronger industrial and technological base for European defence one that is much stronger and much more ambitious. And I will be intractable on this subject,” Macron told a defence industry event in Paris.
In his speech, Macron stressed the changed geopolitical situation caused by Russia’s actions in Ukraine, reiterating his call for boosting Europe’s autonomy when it comes to its defence capacities.
“The time has come to put in place…a European preference, to build, when necessary and possible, rational mechanisms for the acquisition of common capabilities”, Macron said.
Public tender rules among EU states for defence industry contracts should also be simplified to allow more transnational cooperation.
(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Angus MacSwan)
