EADS opens Representative Office in Brussels: Close contacts to EU and NATO of strategic importance
Amsterdam, le 25 avril 2001
EADS European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company opened its new Representative Office in Brussels on Tuesday. Through the combination of the three offices of the EADS founder companies - Aerospatiale Matra, CASA and Dasa - to form a joint representation, EADS now has more than 30 Representative Offices worldwide which are responsible for representing the company's interests in over 70 nations. With its location at the seat of the EU and NATO, the office in Brussels is of particular strategic importance.
"EADS is at home in Europe - and Europe is constantly increasing in significance. Through its economic, competition, international trade and research policies and also through increasing activities in the field of environment, transport, aviation safety and many others, the EU today establishes decisive outline conditions for our industry. In this way the EU also influences our economic success," explained Philippe Camus and Rainer Hertrich, the CEOs of EADS, on Tuesday evening in Brussels.
"Our strategy has always been to push forward for further EU integration, as illustrates our move leading to the rapid creation of EADS. Regarding the consolidation of the European market, it is crucial that further progress has to be made in the creation of a European Company Statute. We share the opinion that more communitiy action is needed as it provides inter alia a better framework to avoid unecessary duplications," Camus and Hertrich said.
The CEOs also expressed their commitment to continuing the efforts for the Galileo-programme, the European approach to a new satellite navigation system. "We are very encouraged by the resolution reached at the EU Transport Council earlier this month. Galileo is a major programme that will have considerable economic benefits in terms of market and employment all over Europe."
EADS has been a partner in the 5th European Research Programme and is - together with other European aerospace companies - currently actively supporting the adoption of the 6th Framework Programme (2002-2006).
"The European Security and Defence Initiative within the framework of the Atlantic Alliance is a major breakthrough. EADS will contribute in a major way to its industrial basis," Camus and Hertrich emphasised.
The EADS CEOs underlined once again in Brussels that a truly European defence market is essential. "If the equipment of the armed forces is to be both state-of-the-art and affordable, then we have to put purely national procurement behind us. In Europe we need transnational, joint armament, for which requirement criteria and procedures are defined jointly by the national authorities. Only by acting together can we Europeans create aerospace products which can also be successful on the global markets." The Eurofighter, NH90 and A400M are the first steps in the right direction but procurement on a European level is currently still the exception.
In the view of the two CEOs, the EADS Office in Brussels is not only a means of representing the company's interests. Its task is also to provide the EU and NATO with information about the company.
The Head of the Representative Office is Michel Troubetzkoy, who is reporting to Jean-Louis Gergorin, Head of Strategic Coordination and Member of the EADS Executive Committee. Mr Troubetzkoy, former French diplomat, is also Chairman of the Group of Permanent Representatives of the European Association of Aerospace Industries (AECMA). He also was the Permanent Representative of Aerospatiale in Brussels from 1994 until 2000.
With revenues amounting to EUR 24.2 billion, EADS is the largest aerospace company in Europe and the third largest aerospace company in the world. EADS employs a workforce of approximately 87,000.
Points of contact:
Dr. Rainer Ohler Tel. +49 89 607 34 235
Miguel Sanchez Tel. +34 91 585 77 89
Roland Sanguinetti Tel. +33 1 42 24 24 26
www.eads.net
