Il defence procurement europeo alla luce del nuovo scenario geopolitico

Defence and security have always been two primary needs of each Community and are distinctive and founding features of each State. Decades of peace and reluctance on the part of the Member States have slowed down the development of a European defence equipment market to ensure the efficiency and competitiveness of the European defence industrial and technological base. This has also had a negative impact on the perception of the European Union as a single player on the international scene and on the credibility of its independence from the US leadership. Despite the emergence in recent years of a constant consensus among Member States on the need for technological and strategic sovereignty, there has in fact been a progressive reduction in spending in the field of security and defence, accentuated by the disastrous impact of Covid-19 in national economies. However, the situation seems to have suddenly changed following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Given the complexity of the defence market in the Union, the creation of a genuine European market remains a real challenge that requires a more coherent industrial policy on public procurement. This work, in addition to tracing the complex European legislation on defence procurement, intends to analyze the Directive 2009/81/EC, focusing on the advantages deriving from its correct application and on the most critical points that hinder the pursuit of the objectives set by the same. Member States’ defence spending appears to be constantly growing but remains largely managed on a national basis, resulting in inefficiencies and duplication of projects and costs. A fragmentation that the war in Ukraine could accentuate rather than resolve.