The European Defence Agency (EDA) today officially launched e-Quip, its government to government electronic market place for surplus defence equipment. Through e-Quip national governments can exchange information on available assets ranging from Defence Systems and equipment, ammunition, or even space systems to services such as logistics and maintenance.
With national armed forces across Europe undergoing changes, a surplus of in-service or new military equipment is expected. This trend might increase as European nations gradually withdraw from operations around the globe over the coming years. In the current financial climate European nations need to make best use of military surplus equipment.
In March 2012 the European Defence Agency proposed and Defence Ministers supported the set-up of a government to government (G2G) electronic on-line market place to sell or transfer this equipment. Consequently, EDA developed, with the support of Member States’ experts, EDA’s new G2G online defence market tool, called e-QUIP. “E-Quip is a concrete and practical tool to foster cooperation among Member States. By exchanging information on available surplus equipment and services, it will help Member States not only to get best value for money but also to maintain and develop military capabilities in an environment of shrinking defence budgets”, says Giampaolo Lillo, Armaments Director of the European Defence Agency.
“We see the launch of e-QUIP both as a follow-up to the Ghent-initiative on enhancing national capabilities with decreasing defence budgets and as another element in the efforts towards a better functioning European defence equipment market, ensuring cost efficiency and value for money for the tax payers. EDA’s work on both dimensions is crucial. I am sure that e-QUIP will be a helpful tool for both Pooling & Sharing and for a better functioning market. We welcome and support EDA’s initiative and will certainly make use of e-QUIP from a national perspective”, confirms Ulf Hammarström, Director General of the Swedish Defence and Security Export Agency.
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