MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Keeping the acquisition of military equipment independent and upholding the ‘buy European’ mantra following the appointment of Rudy Priem – E-001235/2025

Question for written answer  E-001235/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Mathilde Androuët (PfE), Pierre-Romain Thionnet (PfE), Matthieu Valet (PfE)

La Lettre[1] has revealed that the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) has made Rudy Priem the Vice-Chair of its Economic, Legal and Trade Commission. Three years ago, Rudy Priem chaired the defence committee of the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU), and he is currently the Director of Government Relations at RTX, a US arms giant.

While the ASD cooperates and takes part in the Commission’s public consultations[2], AmChamEU is known for opposing all programmes aimed at strengthening Europe’s autonomy in defence. Meanwhile, Rudy Priem has been touting the supposed ‘industrial benefits’ that the purchase of F-35 fighters would bring European countries.

In March, the Commission announced its plan to borrow EUR 150 billion for the purchase of defence systems[3], stressing that the money should help boost Europe’s arms industry[4].

• 1.Was the Commission aware of this revelation? If so, how can it be sure there is no conflict of interest?
• 2.Given that trade relations with the US administration are currently strained, what plans and suggestions does it have to promote and anchor the much-needed ‘buy European’ approach to military acquisitions?

Submitted: 25.3.2025

• [1] ‘Un “Américain” infiltré au cœur du lobby européen de la défense’ [‘an American intruder at the heart of the European defence lobby’], 18 March 2025, Matthieu Fauroux, https://www.lalettre.fr/fr/entreprises_defense-et-aeronautique/2025/03/18/un-americain-infiltre-au-coeur-du-lobby-europeen-de-la-defense,110388728-eve
• [2] Feedback from: the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), 6 February 2024, https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13928-European-Defence-Fund-interim-evaluation/F3453543_en
• [3] ‘Ursula von der Leyen says €150bn EU defence loans should be spent in Europe’, Henry Foy, Andy Bounds and Paola Tamma in Brussels, Leila Abboud in Paris and Amy Kazmin in Rome, 11 March 2025, https://www.ft.com/content/c20530ca-1b31-46ce-bf90-16fc45cc0b62
• [4] Press statement by President von der Leyen on the defence package, 4 March 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_25_673