40 Amendments of Klemen GROŠELJ related to 2022/2079(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the EU’s defence sector is fragmented, which creates strategic vulnerabilities for the Union, Member States and industry; is concerned about the lack of cooNotes that in the face of the significant increase of threats in an increasingly destabilised geopolitical order, the EU must act more strongly to reduce its critical dependencies from the rest of the world; considers that critical technologies should be considered as one of the European Security priorities; underlines that the EU’s defence sector suffers from strategic external dependencies that create vulnerabilities for the Union, Member States and the European Defence Technological and industrial base (ETDIB); recalls the importance of the European Defence fund (EDF) and the Horizon programme as regard ination and calls for more strategic cohesion in security and defence policies at Union levelvestment on critical technologies, and calls for a revision of the MFF in order to increase its budget; welcomes, in this context, the Commission’s launch of the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA) and encourages the Commission and Member States to take this initiative a step further and strive towards a de facto military union supported by a strongly articulated common market for defence equipment, followed by a review of the Treaties for more EU competences on critical technologies for defence, innovation in defence, and security and defence affairs; is concerned about the lack of coordination and calls for more strategic cohesion in security and defence policies at Union level;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas a strong, sustainable and a technologically competitive defence sector is crucial for Europe’s security and prosperity and for the support to its allies and friends;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls on the Commission to encourage Member States to make full use of common procurement and common R&D projects, particularly within the framework of the European Defence Agency, as a tool for exploiting synergies in the EU defence sector and providing the necessary competitiveness and technological edge in arms and equipment production;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has shown that Europe needs to invest robustly in its defence and security technologies including ammunition production on a scale reflecting the needs of the modern battlefield;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the relevant EU bodies to consolidate EU cooperative frameworks for developing cutting-edge military technologies, equipment and capabilities and for EU-level legislation to coordinate Member States’ strategies for critical technologies and to reduce dependencies, while maintaining a competitive internal and global market for the EU defence sector and companies;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the EU to agree on a common definition of what are “critical technologies”, and to agree on a list on main critical domains, as well as to decide on domains where EU action is a priority; calls on the EDA to include the notion of critical technologies in its annual CARD exercise; calls on the Commission to encourage Member States to review all defence programmes and policy tools, check if they are still fit for purpose, and summarise findings and share them with all other Member States when possible and relevant; suggests that the European Defence Agency can provide light touch support and coordination suggestions, including a strategic assessment of the findings;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to encourage Member States to review all defence programmes and policy tools, check if they are still fit for purpose, and summarise findings; suggests that the European Defence Agency can provide light touch support and coordination suggestions, including a strategic assessment of the findings and present solutions to support common R&;D and procurement projects, especially with regard to ammunition;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas research and innovation involving academia, private enterprise including start-ups and SMEs, and the public sector has the potential to accelerate the development of Europe’s cutting-edge technologies;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. (Recital H) whereas the need for structured support for innovation and technological progress should not oversee that innovation essentially comes about through competition and the spirit of research and not through bureaucratic planning;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for a more pragmatic and business-oriented approach to military research in order to provide incentives for innovation in military technology, including by reducing or removing barriers to entry into the defence market, while preserving and enhancing the necessary levels of standardisation and interoperability; further calls for increased support for European companies in emerging technologies to ensure they remain competitive in international markets by relaxing the rules on compliance documentation and by providing tax incentives and stimulating investments;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. (Recital I) whereas increased involvement of SME enhances the competitiveness in the security and defence sector;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
G c. (Recital J) whereas access to finance for the security and defence industry must not be restricted through EU regulations;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)
Recital G d (new)
G d. (Recital K) whereas data sharing is key to analysing strategic gaps and realizing the potential for technological progress, while the protection of intellectual property and sensitive business data must be guaranteed;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)
Recital G e (new)
G e. (Recital L) whereas the cooperation with strategic partners outside the European Union, especially the NATO allies but also the associated and likeminded partners in the world is key for enhancing innovation and technological progress;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s roadmap for critical technologies for security and defence; emphasises the need for greater involvement of the European Union in coordinating and facilitating the development of security- and defence- related technology compatible with the Green Deal goals; underlines that the EU’s global technological competitiveness is highly dependent on innovation and the ability to deploy new technologies rapidly;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s roadmap for critical technologies for security and defence; emphasises the need for greater involvement of the European Union in coordinating and facilitating the development of security- and defence- related technology; underlines that the EU’s global technological competitiveness is highly dependent on R&D, innovation and the ability to transfer and deploy new technologies rapidly;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the need to stimulate the development of skills for innovation, EU financially supported training programmes, research and development (R&D), and fundamental research in critical areas related to emerging technologies; calls on the Commission to encourage Member States to establish and fund defence innovation hubs;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises the need, highlighted in the roadmap, to identify technologies critical for EU security and defence; stresses that the proposal for a coordinated EU-wide strategic approach on critical technologies for security and defence to be taken from the outset is the right way forward; underlines the relation between security and defence challenges on one side, and climate change and environmental degradation on the other; understands that stability of Europe and of international order will be affected if future strategies and roadmaps of the Union do not respect planetary boundaries;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises the need, highlighted in the roadmap, to identify technologies critical for EU security and defence, while maintaining the necessary flexibility for the development and application of ground-breaking and disruptive technologies; stresses that the proposal for a coordinated EU-wide strategic approach on critical technologies for security and defence to be taken from the outset is the right way forward;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. (Point 3) Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to overcome the current devision between civil, defence and security research, development and innovation (RD&I); calls on the Commission to better connect civil, defence and security EU programmes and instruments with the relevant stakeholders in particular in the field of innovation; calls for better targeted investment in common research and development;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that the worsening of the security situation in Europe after Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine demands a stronger and better coordinated effort by the European Union and its Member States to invest in critical security and defence technologies, including ammunition production; is concerned that the growing global demand for conventional weapon systems in the context of the war in Ukraine may have a negative effect on investments in the development of new technologies; calls in this regard for a comprehensive roadmap on the development of new technologies and on the broadening of the scope of investment in security and defence;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is concerned about the EU’s dependence on China for raw materaw material, in particular from some non-democratic countries and strategic rivals andsuch as China, calls on Member States to reduce their vulnerabilities resulting from dependence on non-democratic suppliers of critical technologies and materials, and to enhance defence production chains in Europe by localising or near-shoring production; recalls that any dependence on critical technologies may lead to increased risks of blackmail on the CFSP and CSDP;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Commission’s setting up an observatory of critical technologies; calls on the Commission to fully integrate the findings of the observatory in its classified report to Member States on critical technologies and risks associated with strategic dependencies affecting security, space and defence; stresses the need for the Commissionemphasises that at all times the protection of intellectual property and sensitive business data must be guaranteed; stresses the need for the Commission in cooperation with the European Defence Agency to further coordinate and facilitate cooperation between the Member States in order to address the existing technology gaps;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Expresses its support for the Observatory of Critical Technologies; calls for it to be further developed and for its analysis capabilities, including on reducing strategic dependencies, to be enhanced; calls on the Commission to implement a project to continuously map the need for critical materials, evaluate the EU’s strategic dependencies, monitor supply and demand and changes in the behaviour or strategy of competitors, and engage in foresight exercises to predict new needs in critical materials; considers that these efforts should be made jointly with our strategic partners in NATO, when necessary, and included in a Trade and Technology Council (TTC) working group in order to coordinate diplomatic efforts to secure supplies and ensure alternative sources; recalls the need to screen any foreign direct investment in European companies in defence-related emerging technologies to avoid economic dependence and limit the risk of espionage and sabotage on EU critical infrastructure downstream;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the there is a risk of dependency for the supply of critical materials and of overstretched supply chains that may affect the EU’s capability to stay competitive in the field of critical technologies for security and defence; calls on the Commission to take the lead with a special research programme on how to promote circularity and on new materials for critical technologies so as to minimise the EU’s dependency on third countries;
Amendment 78 #
8. Calls for military and strategic interoperability between the EU and like- minded partners and NATO, and among Member States, to be ensured, given that the risk of fragmentation is exacerbated by different national requirements and national public spending and investment and procurement schemeswithout the EU at risk of any strategic dependency;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the creation of an EU defence innovation scheme and the ongoing work with various tools relating to defence and new and dual-use technologies in order to help innovative start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises overcome high technological, administrative, regulatory and market entry hurdles; calls on the Commission to encourage Member States, as the end users, to fully utilise cross-border innovation networks; calls on the Commission to closely work together with the Hub on European Defence Innovation (HEDI) established in the European Defence Agency;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to work on a plan and investment scheme to update and strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants, electricity grids, water and food supply and telecommunications infrastructure (undersea cables), for the digital age, including by adapting it to AI- assisted drone supervision and maintenance; subsequently calls for the elaboration of an EU R&D and manufacturing strategy for advanced drones;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Acknowledges the need for close coordination with associated and like- minded partners such as the United States and NATO; welcomes the commitment by the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) to exploring EU-US cooperation in the context of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council; welcomes the Commission’s and the VP/HR’s commitment to exploring mutually agreed and beneficial interactions between the EU’s and NATO’s initiatives focused on new technologies;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is concerned about the lack of investment in new, disruptive technologies in the defence industry; calls on the Commission to establish the necessary cooperative tools and measures to encourage the defence industry to take into account lessons learned from modern conflicts and to invest more in technological innovation in critical technologies for security and defence, in addition to producing existing weapon systems and associated ammunition;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. (new point) Stresses the importance that SMEs and start-ups play in innovation and development and calls for specific programs and instruments to include them into the future implementation of the roadmap for critical technologies in security and defence;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the need for closer cooperation between the Member States on defining capability development programs and plans to boost innovation in critical technologies for security and defence; calls on the relevant EU bodies to act as catalysts and accelerators to encourage the Member States to coordinate their capability development programmes and procurement activities, in order to enhance the necessary interoperability between different Member States' armed forces;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the need for closer cooperation between the Member States on capability development to boost innovation in critical technologies for security and defence; calls on the relevant EU bodies to prioritize joint projects for EU financed und co-financed innovation in critical technology for security and defence and to act as catalysts and accelerators to encourage the Member States to coordinate their capability development programmes;
Amendment 107 #
9 a. Calls on Commission to support and encourage Member states to make use of European common capability development programmes to the greatest extent possible, in order to ensure the technological maturity, excellence and competitiveness of weapon systems;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Emphasises that EU financed and co-financed innovation and development in critical and disruptive defence technologies should lead to a higher degree of interoperability and common procurement of defence equipment by Member States once the technologies developed have reached an appropriate technological readiness level; asks that the appropriate technological readiness level be defined by the Commission in cooperation with the Member States, in line with the modern security environment and modern battlefield demands;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is concerned about the insufficient level of financing for defence and other priorities from the EU funds; recalls the fact that the European Defence Fund budget was cut by approximately 40 % relative to the Commission’s proposal for the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-2027; calls on the Commission to explore existing funding schemes and alternatives to increase the funding for critical technologies for security and defence under the current MFF and to prevent any future reallocation of appropriations among different programmes stemming from overall inadequate level of resources in the EU budget;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. (new point) Emphasises that the access to finance for the security and defence industry must not be restricted by EU regulation; notes that this could lead to a migration of investments away from the security and defence sector; refers to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence that stated that initiatives on sustainable finance remain consistent with the European Union efforts to facilitate the European defence industry’s sufficient access to private finance and investment
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Encourages innovation based on increased resource efficiency, development of new materials, promotion of secondary raw materials and more sustainable public procurement, and the use of environmentally sustainable technology solutions; calls on the Commission to explore in cooperation with the European Defence Agency the way forward on sustainable security and defence technologies and how the EU’s security and defence industries and the EU’s resilience could benefit;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Encourages innovation based on increased resource efficiency, development of new materials, promotion of secondary raw materials and more sustainablegreen public procurement, and the use of environmentally sustainable technology solutions; calls on the Commission to explore the way forward on sustainable security and defence technologies and how the EU’s security and defence industries and the EU’s resilience could benefit;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Highlights that Russia’s war against Ukraine has repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of disruptive technologies that often come at relatively low cost while having a powerful impact on the battlefield against large weapon systems and formations; calls on the Commission to conduct a study in cooperation with the Ukranian Government and NATO- Partners on the lessons identified from the war in Ukraine with regard to critical technologies for security and defence;