Interest Groups and Lobbying Chapter 6. Interest Groups and Lobbying.
The Arms Industry Lobbying that is Shaping the EU’s ...€¦ · Defence Research7 - an advisory...
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The Arms Industry Lobbying that is Shaping the EU’s ‘Defence’ Policy Arms Industry Lobbying at a glance Arms Trade Lobbyists EU Arms Exporters “There is a constant and close dialogue with both the European Commission and the European Defence Agency (EDA)” - Arms industry lobby organisation AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association (ASD)’s newsletter, May 2016 1 Top 5 European Countries granting export licenses: Top non-EU destinations for EU arms exports 13 France Germany Saudi Arabia UK Italy Spain “For European defence to be strong, the European defence industry needs to innovate. That is why we will propose before the end of the year a European Defence Fund, to turbo boost research and innovation.” - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the Union address, 2016 2 *Campaigners 4 believe that the arms industry lobbying organisation ASD may have substantially under-reported its EU lobbying budget as, according to data from the Belgian national bank, ASD has a large organisation budget Declared lobby spending as of November 2017 Number of high level meetings with the European Commission since December 2014 37 | 2013-2016 From 2013-2016, the European Commission’s DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) had at least 37 meetings with the arms industry to discuss the ‘Preparatory Action on Defence Research’. 5 Airbus Group | 120 meetings Rolls-Royce PLC | 13 meetings Safran | 4 meetings THALES | 18 meetings European Organisation for Security | 15 meetings Leonardo S.p.A | 20 meetings AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) | 25 meetings BAE Systems | 3 meetings DCNS | 9 meetings Saab AB | 8 meetings MBDA | 6 meetings European Cyber Security Organisation | 9 meetings Rheinmetall Group | 1 meeting 1 4 7 10 2 5 8 11 3 6 9 12 13 Shaping the EU’s ‘Defence’ Agenda 2015: European Commission sets up the Group of Personalities on Defence Research - the advisory body that helped set the agenda for an EU military research programme. The group was heavily dominated by the arms industry. 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 Airbus Group 5 Saab 2 BAE Systems 6 Indra 3 Leonardo 7 ASD 4 MBDA 8 TNO 9 Frauenhofer-Gesellschaft Qatar India USA UAE The combined lobbying budget of the top ten European arms companies 5 years ago 3 €3.6m Their combined lobbying budget today* €5.1m €2m €1,750,000-1,999,999 €1,250,000-1,499,999 €495,000 €300,000-399,999 €300,000 €200,000-299,999 €200,000-299,999 €298,000 €100,000-199,999 €100,000-199,999 €100,000-199,999 N/A €25,000-49,999 €1m €40bn €90m 2015: European Commission set up the Group of Personalities on Defence Research 7 - an advisory body which helped set the agenda for an EU military research programme. Oct 2016: European Parliament voted 8 in favour of the Preparatory Action on Defence Research 9 fund - granting €90 million 10 for defence research for 2017-2019. Nov 2016: The European Commission presented the European Defence Action Plan 11 in which it proposed the establishment of a European Defence Fund for the joint development of military equipment. Jun 2017: European Commission proposed mobilising €40 billion from member states and the EU’s budget by 2027 for research and development of weapons and military hardware with the European Defence Fund. Nov 2017: 23 European member states take the first formal step to set up ‘Permanent Structured Cooperation’ (PESCO), committing to spending more on defence and on the procurement of military equipment. “Domestic demand coupled with export success is essential in order for Europe to retain viable and globally competitive defence industrial players.” - Group of Personalities 12 References: 1. AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) Quarterly Newsletter: ‘News from Brussels’, May 2016, p.8 2. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-3042_en.htm 3. Based on data taken from LobbyFacts.eu, accessed November 2017 4. https://www.vredesactie.be/en/nieuws/how-arms-lobby-hijacking-europe%E2%80%99s-defence-policy 5. https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/industry_lobbying_on_the_prepara#outgoing-8491 6. https://www.eda.europa.eu/info-hub/press-centre/latest-news/2015/06/18/high-level-group-of-personalities-on-defence-research-issues-statement 7. http://ec.europa.eu/growth/content/high-level-group-personalities-defence-research-issues-statement-0_en 8. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-europe-as-a-stronger-global-actor/file-csdp-related-research-preparatory-action-2017 9. https://www.eda.europa.eu/what-we-do/activities/activities-search/preparatory-action-for-defence-research 10. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1508_en.htm 11. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-4088_en.htm 12. Group of Personalities, European Defence Research: The Case for an EU-Funded R&T Programme, European Union: Institute for Security Studies, p. 44 13. http://enaat.org/eu-export-browser/licence.en.html
Transcript of The Arms Industry Lobbying that is Shaping the EU’s ...€¦ · Defence Research7 - an advisory...
The Arms Industry Lobbying that is Shaping the EU’s ‘Defence’ Policy
Arms Industry Lobbying at a glance
Arms Trade Lobbyists
EU Arms Exporters
“There is a constant and close dialogue with both the European Commission and the European Defence Agency (EDA)” - Arms industry lobby organisation AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association (ASD)’s newsletter, May 20161
Top 5 European Countries granting export licenses:
Top non-EU destinations for EU arms exports13
France Germany
Saudi Arabia
UK Italy Spain
“For European defence to be strong, the European defence industry needs to innovate. That is why we will
propose before the end of the year a European Defence Fund, to turbo boost research and innovation.”
- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the Union address, 20162
*Campaigners4 believe that the arms industry lobbying organisation ASD may have substantially under-reported its EU lobbying budget as, according to data from the Belgian national bank, ASD has a large organisation budget
Declared lobby spending as of November 2017
Number of high level meetings with the European Commission since December 2014
37 | 2013-2016
From 2013-2016, the European Commission’s DG Internal Market, Industry,Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) had at least 37 meetings with the arms industry to discuss the ‘Preparatory Action on Defence Research’.5
Airbus Group | 120 meetings
Rolls-Royce PLC | 13 meetings
Safran | 4 meetings
THALES | 18 meetings
European Organisation for Security | 15 meetings
Leonardo S.p.A | 20 meetings
AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) | 25 meetings
BAE Systems | 3 meetings
DCNS | 9 meetings
Saab AB | 8 meetings
MBDA | 6 meetings
European Cyber Security Organisation | 9 meetings
Rheinmetall Group | 1 meeting
1
4
7
10
2
5
8
11
3
6
9
12
13
Shaping the EU’s ‘Defence’ Agenda
2015: European Commission sets up the Group of Personalitieson Defence Research - the advisory body that helped set the
agenda for an EU military research programme. The group was heavily dominated by the arms industry.6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9
1 Airbus Group
5 Saab
2 BAE Systems
6 Indra
3 Leonardo
7 ASD
4 MBDA8 TNO 9 Frauenhofer-Gesellschaft
QatarIndiaUSA UAE
The combined lobbying budget of
the top ten European arms companies 5
years ago3
€3.6m
Their combined lobbying budget
today*
€5.1m
€2m€1,750,000-1,999,999
€1,250,000-1,499,999
€495,000
€300,000-399,999
€300,000
€200,000-299,999
€200,000-299,999
€298,000
€100,000-19
9,999
€100,000-19
9,999
€100,000-19
9,999
N/A€25,000-4
9,999
€1m
€40bn
€90m
2015: European Commission set up the Group of Personalities on Defence Research7 - an advisory body which helped set the agenda for an EU military research programme.
Oct 2016: European Parliament voted8 in favour of the Preparatory Action on Defence Research9 fund - granting €90 million10 for defence research for 2017-2019.
Nov 2016: The European Commission presented the European Defence Action Plan11 in which it proposed the establishment of a European Defence Fund for the joint development of military equipment.
Jun 2017: European Commission proposed mobilising €40 billion from member states and the EU’s budget by 2027 for research and development of weapons and military hardware with the European Defence Fund.
Nov 2017: 23 European member states take the first formal step to set up ‘Permanent Structured Cooperation’ (PESCO), committing to spending more on defence and on the procurement of military equipment.
“Domestic demand coupled with export success is essential in order for Europe
to retain viable and globally competitive defence industrial players.”
- Group of Personalities12
References:
1. AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) Quarterly Newsletter: ‘News from Brussels’, May 2016, p.82. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-3042_en.htm3. Based on data taken from LobbyFacts.eu, accessed November 20174. https://www.vredesactie.be/en/nieuws/how-arms-lobby-hijacking-europe%E2%80%99s-defence-policy5. https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/industry_lobbying_on_the_prepara#outgoing-84916. https://www.eda.europa.eu/info-hub/press-centre/latest-news/2015/06/18/high-level-group-of-personalities-on-defence-research-issues-statement7. http://ec.europa.eu/growth/content/high-level-group-personalities-defence-research-issues-statement-0_en8. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-europe-as-a-stronger-global-actor/file-csdp-related-research-preparatory-action-20179. https://www.eda.europa.eu/what-we-do/activities/activities-search/preparatory-action-for-defence-research10. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1508_en.htm11. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-4088_en.htm12. Group of Personalities, European Defence Research: The Case for an EU-Funded R&T Programme, European Union: Institute for Security Studies, p. 4413. http://enaat.org/eu-export-browser/licence.en.html
