Goals

The Founding Declaration signed in Madrid on 28 February 1992 provided the basis for the subsequent creation of a European federation of Defence Associations (EDA) and expressed the desire of increasing efforts to promote cooperation in a European framework and provide opportunities for information exchange among the members of the participating Associations. In 2005 the name was changed to European Defence Technology Associations (EDTA) as a consequence of the establishment of a European Defence Agency (EDA) in Brussels.

The statutes or Bylaws of EDTA  were approved in the European Defence Associations Presidents meeting held in 1994 in The Hague (Holland). The bylaws of the EDTA state:

The EDTA is a non-profit making federation of associations with no independent capital. Its aims are to enhance fellowship, cooperation and professional relationship among its members, with no further legal affiliation (Section 2, Article 1).

Other European associations, consisting mainly of members from defence administrations and industries, the Armed Forces and scientific organizations, may apply for EDTA membership. Application will be considered by the Board and admission of a new member will require the acceptance of the Board by consensus among its members (Section 4 of Article).

The goals of EDTA as defined in the founding declaration are:

a) Commonly organising international and mutually attending national symposia, conventions, assemblies, etc., to which all the partner societies will be invited.

b) A general exchange of information by means of bulletins supplying explanations or basic papers relating to questions concerning armed forces technology and defence industry, with respect to public interest and politics, and 

c) In the long term, possibly the issue of a corresponding international publication.

d) Promotion of exchange and training of defence engineers, teaching armament procurement and other defence-related topics at academies.

e) Contribution to express the European interest and needs in the field of armed forces technology to organizations within and outside Europe.

The EDTA focuses on the following activities to accomplish these objectives (bylaws, article 2):

• Promotion of the exchange of professional information to improve members' scientific and technological knowledge and interrelations in areas of the defence industry, including research, scientific and technological developments and their potential application to civil issues, in addition to the utilization of civilian industry and technology for military purposes, taking into account economic, political and geo-strategic aspects.

• Promotion of international symposia and support of nationally organized symposia and conventions, monographic work sessions, round table discussions, etc. related to the above.

• Circulation and exchange of publications and information of interest in the fields of technology, industry, scientific developments and any other related material pertaining to the Armed Forces, the defence industry, geo-strategic, politics and the economy.

• Promotion of training and instruction in the multidisciplinary approach that Defence Technology requires for European engineers and scientists through seminars, conferences, exchanges, training and refresher courses, and in general all those activities within or outside Europe which are designed to improve training or the dissemination of technical and scientific developments connected with defence technology in the above areas.

• Promotion of public interest in the defence industry and technology both within Europe and elsewhere, alluding to any potential peaceful applications.

• Promotion of the study and application of specific defence technologies for civil purposes and the feasibility of employing European military industry to achieve these objectives, or the reverse when necessary.

History

In 1987, the Ministers of Defence, members of the independent European Programme Group (IEPG), decided to build up a European defence technology market to counter the US dominance. The report became known as the Wise Men report. This initiated the establishment of a working group by the German Association of Defence Technology Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Wehrtechnik e.V., DWT) under the leadership of Dr. R. Germershausen. The group began co-operative talks with the British DMA (Defence Manufacturers Association) and the French CAIA (Confederation Amicale des Ingenieurs de I'Armement). 

During the International Air-Show in Hanover in 1988, the leaders of these three organizations discussed the possibilities of a future co-operation on European level. These talks led to the foundation of a group which met for the first time under the leadership of the DMA on 26 September 1989 in connection with the Naval Equipment Exhibition in Portsmouth. The main topic discussed on this symposium was the development of industrial research in the military field in the year 1992 and beyond. The second symposium was organized by CAIA in June 1990 in Paris. For the first time, members of other European Defence Technology Associations like the Spanish Asociacion Civil de Ingenieros de la Defensa (ACID) and the Belgian Defence Industries Group (BDIG) took part.

The German Association for Defence Technology (DWT) was the host for the third symposium in 1991. In the same year, the president of the Swiss Association (Schweizerische Gesellschaft fur Technik und Armee, STA) invited the leaders of the European Defence Technology Associations to their first presidents meeting on 8 November 1991 in Geneva. It was decided to found an European Federation of Defence Technology Associations (EDA). The Swiss STA, the French CAIA, the German DWT, the Spanish ACID, the Danish MTF (Militairteknisk Forening) and the Dutch KIVI NIRIA DV (Royal Institute of Engineers, department of Defence Technology) were the group of founding member associations.

The official abbreviation of the EDA was changed into EDTA during the 27th Presidents meeting on 28 April 2005 in The Hague as a consequence of the establishment of a European Defence Agency (EDA) in Brussels.

Join EDTA

Membership is open for all European associations of individual engineers active in defence technology.
Associated membership is open to associations of companies active in defence technology.
Partnership can be agreed with associations or other non-profit entities active in areas relevant for defence technology.

There is no membership fee.

If your association would like to apply for EDTA membership please contact the EDTA president: president@fedta.eu.