Armscor has put new offset rules into operation. Details of the new policy remain unpublished but the South African corporation is already applying them to bids. Foreign defence contractors are facing stricter requirements and a penalty of “at least” 100 percent.....
The European Commission is worried that its efforts to eliminate offsets in all of its forms are failing. “They are not going down if you look at the picture overall.”
Rupert Schlegelmilch, European Commission director for Services, Investment, Intellectual Property, and Public Procurement, told the ECCO conference that a new proposal would see the EC close access to other countries in European markets if EC member states are not given substantial market access to their markets.
China intends to develop a detailed offset policy and to gradually impose offset requirements for its weapon procurements. Training will be given to personnel to make them aware of the importance of offsets and the various practices that are available.
The French government’s official position on offsets was made clear by Claire Waysand, deputy director general and chief economist in the Directorate-General of the Treasury at the French Ministry of Economy and Finance. \We do not request offset in France. We support the efforts of the EC to restrict offsets and of the entry into force of the 2009 defence directive.\"
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