Institute

with the EDA, the EASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and EUROCONTROL have
also contributed significantly in establishing airworthiness benchmarks for RPAS
capabilities.
What drives the backing of this new policy development? Is there a necessity-driven
agenda in terms of new security challenges that justifies and calls for dual-use technologies
and RPAS? One explanation for the EU’s policy shift in supporting unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) and RPAS development programs could be accounted for by their job creation
potential. The aim would be to allow the European arms industry to become a global leader in
the market of emerging technologies. In addition, it is argued that the development of
disruptive technologies such as dual-use drones strengthens the robotics industrial base for
civilian and commercial use, it encourages the development of systems engineering skills,
and it calls for expertise in artificial intelligence. Not to mention the necessity of funding for
dual-use R&T, as underlined by Chief Executive of the EDA, Mr Jorge Domecq, so as to
avoid ‘spending twice’ and boost civil-military synergies. 13
The goals and interests of the European Union and the defence industry have been
increasingly converging, particularly now that the EU is set on consolidating its defence
identity under the umbrella of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). In a study
conducted on 100 arms-producing and military services, the Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI) noted that out of the top 100 arms manufacturers, 30 are from
Europe 14 and in the EU, more than 700,000 people work in the aerospace and defence
industry. 15
It is without any doubt that the major stakeholders in the defence industry have both
the political and economic power to influence the EU’s policy agenda, especially due to the
fact that there are overlapping interests in the partial and majority state ownership of EUbased
companies, i.e. ‘Finmeccanica, which is partly owned by the Italian state; Thales,
partly owned by the French state; and Airbus Group (formerly EADS), which is partly owned
by the French state, German state and Spanish state.’ 16
far, and what are the next steps to be made towards reaching a more efficient European airspace.’ Accessed
September 25, 2015. http://www.eurocontrol.int/dossiers/single-european-sky
13 The EDA, Latest News, ‘Exploring hybrid threats,’ September 25, 2015, Brussels. Accessed September 25,
2015. http://www.eda.europa.eu/info-hub/press-centre/latest-news/2015/09/25/exploring-hybrid-threats
14 M. Heinrich, ‘Elusive transparency in the EU: defence industry influence in Brussels,’ openDemocracy,
February 2, 2015. Accessed September 25, 2015. https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/markusheinrich/elusive-transparency-in-eu-defence-industry-influence-in-brussels
15 A. Saini, ‘Building a Science Career in the Defence Industry,’ Sciencemag, May 22, 2009. Accessed
September 25, 2015.
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2009_05_22/caredit.a0900067
16 Ibidem