16th/01/2006

Editorial

Confronted with new threats and a great number of crises which endanger world stability and peace, France must constantly adapt its defence device to the demands and challenges of this new context.

The armed forces’ missions have expanded and the conditions of their fulfilment have also changed. Thus, operational and administrative performance henceforth go hand in hand. The 2003-2008 military planning law (LPM), which sets operational priorities and guarantees their funding, goes along with the improvement of administrative processes. The money saved since 2002 will eventually amount to more than 500 million euros at the close of 2006. Within this framework, the implementation of a constant modernization of public management, enabled by the LOLF, is a priority for Defence. With the volume of orders devoted to the modernization of its capacities, Defence is, actually, the first public buyer: it represents 67% of the State’s public markets and 28% of the public markets of the overall State, regional and local authorities. Among all the actions which have been taken, the dematerialisation of the transfer process of the Ministry of Defence’s public markets and, in the end, that of their implementation is one of the most accomplished within French administration. The Ministry of Defence is the first ministry to have a “dematerialised financial market” in accordance with European directives and their interpretation in the code of public markets.

Available from the portal ixarm.com dedicated to purchases in the “weapons, ammunition, and war materiel” perimeter or from achats.defense.gouv.fr, dedicated to usual purchase providers, the “service public Défense” (“Defence public service”) financial market was recognized, in a May 2004 European Union survey, as the first European public financial market. From January to October 2005, over 7,860 consultation files on line were reported, leading to more than 230 offers registered, hence testifying to the efficiency and reputation of this portal. In my opinion, this success confirms the necessity to continue the professionalization of Defence’s “buyer” function, as it goes along with the policy of cutting costs which I have set about since 2002.

The forthcoming steps of the modernisation of the transfer of public markets within the Ministry of Defence aim at enabling a 100% dematerialisation of the process as a whole.

Finally, at the European level, my counterparts and I have approved, at the Brussels meeting of 21st November 2005, the code of conduct put forth by the European Defence Agency. This code, applicable on 1st July 2006, will enable greater openness in the field of armament markets. Consultations will be published on a single portal of the Agency, linked to existing national portals.

The implementation of the code of conduct at the European level, a project which we have supported and even began with our British partners, emphasizes the forerunning role of the Ministry of Defence in the public markets’ dematerialisation process, and reinforces its status of a major actor in the reform of the State.

Michèle ALLIOT-MARIE
Ministre de la défense

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