Paris, 6 December 2000.-The WEU-ESDA Assembly Wednesday called for the early creation of a European armaments agency that would be open to all Western European Armaments Group (WEAG) members.

Based on a report presented by Heinrich Kolb (Germany/Liberal) for the Technological and Aerospace Committee, the Assembly urged the WEU Council of Ministers to « set about establishing the European Armaments Agency, providing a broad framework for all WEAG members, to whom a set of general rules would apply, as well as a narrower framework for any countries wishing to reach agreement among themselves on specific rules., » The Agency’s task « would be a common European procurement based on harmonised requirements, procurement rules and timetables, » the report said.

The Assembly also advocated « the necessary political impetus » for the WEAG and the Western European Armaments Organisation (WEAO), and the participation of WEU associate partner countries.

In addition, the Assembly recommended that as « states disengage from their defence industries, the European Union gradually assume responsibility for defining common criteria and standards, in particular in order to regulate public defence procurements. »