The European Defence Agency (EDA) participated in a Forum on 8 and 9 December 2008 in Brussels organised by the European Commission and devoted to Anticipation of Change and Restructuring in the Defence Industry.
The Forum brought together the European institutions, governments, social partners, academic experts, regional and local authorities, as well as market development experts. The Agency’s Deputy Chief Executive, Adam Sowa, emphasised in his intervention the value of the initiative, complementing EDA’s efforts towards implementation of the Strategy for European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) – one of the EDA’s main goals. “We will support the Initiative mainly by providing information and expertise on the Agency’s EDTIB related work. Building on that, we can indirectly contribute to the identification of the most promising employment-related measures, particularly by giving indications on future capability needs and on where the development of human skills could be needed for the future EDTIB. However, at the end of the day it’s up to Member States, the Commission and Industry to take the right measures”, he said.
On the occasion of the Forum, a “European Partnership for the Anticipation of Change in the Defence Industry” was launched. The Partnership aims at maintaining and strengthening the competitive position of EU defence industries, creating high levels of high quality jobs and reinforcing the employability of the workers of the sector, a pre-condition for sustainable growth and social cohesion.