Defence Procurement: Dr Georgopoulos assists Dutch Authorities to resolve dispute with EU Commission.

Dr Georgopoulos advised the Dutch Authorities to reach a successful conclusion in the infringement proceedings that the EU Commission had instituted against the Netherlands. 

In 2018 the European Commission started infringement proceedings against the Netherlands and 4 other EU Member States alleging violations of EU defence and security procurement rules.

Dr Georgopoulos, Head of the Defence and Security Procurement Research Unit of the Public Procurement Research Group (PPRG), has been advocating in his writings (for example here , here and here), that although there is no automatic exemption of the defence market from the rules and principles of EU Law, Member States have, nevertheless, a wider margin of discretion to adopt measures and practices that accommodate and serve their essential security interests in the field of defence procurement, including defence industrial policy.

Dr Georgopoulos’ legal analysis and advice assisted the Dutch Authorities to define and defend their position successfully.