Activities of Ivars IJABS related to 2022/0219(COD)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act
Amendments (17)
Amendment 49 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The unjustified invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022 and the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine has made it clear that it is critical to act nowurgently to address the existing shortfalls It has led to the return of high- intensity warfare and territorial conflict in Europe,. It requiringes a significant increase in the capacity of Member States to fill the most urgent and critical gaps, especially those exacerbated by the transfer of defence products to Ukraine, in particular in the Member States in its close neighbourhood.
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a wake-up call for the European Union, which still has Soviet-era military equipment, barely functioning or no longer relevant in the context of technological developments. The defence budget has been neglected critically in many Member States, while both our partners and other third countries have invested massively in modernizing their military capabilities. Ramping up our military R&D, our defence industry, and our military capabilities would make the EU a relevant global player, which is both adequate and necessary for the current geopolitical landscape.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) A dedicated short-term instrument, designed in a spirit of solidarity, was indicated as a tool to incentivise Member States, on a voluntary basis, to pursue common procurement to fill the most urgent and critical gaps, especially those created by the response to the current Russia’s aggression, in a collaborative way.
Amendment 90 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Common investment and defence procurement should in particular be incentivised, as such collaborative actions would ensure that the necessary changes in the EU industrial base takes place in a collaborative manner, avoiding further fragmentation of the industry, and increasing interoperability.
Amendment 92 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) To that end a Short Term Instrument for increasing the collaboration of the Member States in the defence procurement phase (the ‘Instrument’) should be established. It will incentivise Member States to pursue collaborative actions and in particular, when they procure in order to fill these gaps, to do so jointly, increasing the level of interoperability and strengthening and reforming their defence industrial capabilities. The Instrument should be seen as an emergency mechanism necessary to deal with the current emergency situation, and its structure and eligibility conditions should be without prejudice to the upcoming European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP).
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The Short Term Instrument should offset the complexity and risks associated with such joint actions while allowing economies of scale in the actions undertaken by Member States to reinforce and modernise the European Technological and Industrial Base, increasing thereby the Union’s capacity resilience and security of supply. Incentivizing common procurement would also result into diminished costs in terms of exploitation, maintenance and withdrawal of the systems. The instrument should be accompanied by efforts to preserve a level playing field for suppliers from all Member States and to create incentives for the expansion of the EDTIB to more Member States.
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13a) This instrument should be used as a jumpstart to replace old soviet-era military equipment and to stimulate investment in cutting edge technology in defence through support for joint R&D.
Amendment 102 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 b (new)
Recital 13 b (new)
(13b) This instrument should be effective, seamless, and de- bureaucratised, in order to encourage SME participation, to stimulate innovation in defence products, and to open up the defence market to new European companies from across the EU.
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15 a (new)
Recital 15 a (new)
(15a) Member States participating in the common procurement of defence products under this Instrument should have a right to invite Ukraine and Moldova to participate in the action. To do this they should authorise a procurement agent to enter into an agreement for procuring additional quantities of the defence product with these countries. Such an agreement would benefit the EDTIB as these countries' participation would provide for a better economy of scale and scope, higher demand and interoperability at the technical level, common training, cross-servicing and maintenance which would provide a foundation for the later inclusion of their defence industries in the EDTIB. It would also strengthen the two countries' defence capabilities in light of Russia's aggression and threat. The possibility to participate on the invitation of the Member States in the procurement agreement should be open to Georgia as soon as the European Council grants it the status of candidate country once the priorities specified in the Commission’s opinion on Georgia’s membership application have been addressed.
Amendment 154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) In accordance with Article 193(2) of the Financial Regulation, a grant may be awarded for an action which has already begun, provided that the applicant can demonstrate the need for starting the action prior to signature of the grant agreement. However, financial contribution should not cover a period prior to the date of submission of the grant application, except in duly justified exceptional cases, such as equipment replacement sent to Ukraine. In order to avoid any disruption in Union support which could be prejudicial to the interests of the Union, it should be possible to provide in the financing decision for financial contributions to actions that cover a period from the 24 February 2022, even if they have started before the grant application was submitted.
Amendment 179 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to foster the competitiveness and efficiency of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), including SMEs and mid- capitalisation companies (mid-caps) for a more resilient Union, in particular by speeding up, in a collaborative manner, the adjustment of industry to structural and technological changes, including ramp-up of its manufacturing capacities and increase in the resilience of its supply chains;
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) to foster cooperation in defence procurement process between participating Member States contributing to solidarity, interoperability, prevention of crowding- out effects, avoiding fragmentation and, increasing the effectiveness of public spending, and encouraging the harmonisation of defence procurement legislation across Member States.
Amendment 192 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – point i (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – point i (new)
i) to stimulate the uptake of new technologies in the EDTIB and to support the development of a defence technological and industrial base in more Union Member States.
Amendment 205 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The objectives shall be pursued with an emphasis on strengthening and, developing, modernising, and expanding the Union defence industrial base to allow it to address in particular the most urgent and critical defence products needs, especially those revealed or exacerbated by the response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, taking into account the work of the Defence Joint Procurement Task Force.
Amendment 211 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – indent 1 (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – indent 1 (new)
Amendment 220 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)
The agreement between the participating Member States and the procurement agent referred to in Article 8(2) of this Regulation may authorise the procurement agent to invite and enter into an agreement for procuring additional quantities of the defence product subject to the common procurement with those third countries such as Ukraine and Moldova, which are candidates for accession to the European Union and whose territory is in immediate proximity or affected by the war on Ukrainian territory and whose territory is occupied by forces supported by the Russian Federation. Such additional procurement arrangements shall be without prejudice to the applicable provisions of Union law and any relevant international obligations of the participating Member States.
Amendment 227 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3
Article 6 – paragraph 3
3. Where necessary for the implementation of an action, financial contributions may cover a period prior to the date of the request for financial contributions for that action, provided that the action has not started prior to the 24 February 2022 and have not been completed before the signature of the grant agreement.