Memorandum van overeenstemming tussen het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden en de Verenigde Staten van Amerika over samenwerking inzake defensiematerieel

1. Both Governments intend to facilitate the mutual flow of defense procurement, taking into consideration relative technological levels of such procurement, and consistent with their national policies. This facilitation shall be sought through the provision of opportunities to compete for procurements of defense equipment and services as well as through the coproduction of defense equipment and defense R&D cooperation.
2. This MOU is intended to cover areas in which possible bilateral cooperation could be achieved in research and development, production and procurement of conventional defense equipment, complementing the work of the Conference of National Armament Directors (CNAD) and the Independent European Program Group (IEPG).
3. The two Governments will, consistent with their relevant laws and regulations, give the fullest consideration to all requests for cooperative R&D, and to all requests for production and procurement which are intended to enhance standardization and/or interoperability within the Alliance.
4. In the interests of standardization and the effective utilization of scarce resources, the two Governments shall, to the extent possible, adopt qualified defense items that have been developed or produced in the other country to meet their requirements. Defense items or services are those items or services which may be procured utilizing appropriated funds of the U.S. Department of Defense or budgeted funds of the Netherlands Ministry of Defense.
5. The two Governments shall mutually determine the counting procedures to be laid down in an Annex to this MOU that will apply to all defense items and defense services purchased by them directly or through their relevant industries under this MOU.
6. Each Government shall from time to time notify the other Government of defense items that may not be acquired by the notifying Government from other than domestic sources, as well as those defense items that may be particularly suitable for acquisition by the other Government.
7. Both Governments will provide appropriate policy guidance and administrative procedures within their respective defense acquisition organizations to facilitate achievement of the aims of this MOU.
8. Competitive contracting procedures shall normally be used in acquiring items of defense equipment developed or produced in each other's country for use by either country’s defense establishment.
9. The detailed implementing procedures, to be agreed, will, consistent with and to the extent permitted by national laws and regulations, incorporate the following:
a. Offers or proposals will be evaluated without applying price differentials under buy national laws and regulations and without applying the costs of import duties;
b. Full consideration will be given to all qualified industrial and/or governmental resources in each other’s country;
c. Offers or proposals will be required to satisfy requirements of the purchasing Government for performance, quality, delivery and costs.
10. Both Governments will review items submitted as candidates for respective requirements. They will indicate requirements and proposed purchases in a timely fashion to ensure adequate time for their respective industries to qualify for eligibility and submit a bid or proposal.
11. Each Government will ensure that the technical data packages (TDP’s) made available under this MOU are not used for any purpose other than for the purpose of bidding on, and performing, a prospective defense contract without the prior agreement of those owning or controlling proprietary rights and that full protection shall be given to such proprietary rights, or to any privileged, protected, or classified data and information they contain. In no event shall the TDP’s be transferred to any third country or any other transferee without the prior written consent of the originating Government.
12. Both Governments will use their best efforts to assist in negotiating licenses, royalties and technical information exchanges with their respective industries or other owners of such rights.
13. Arrangements and procedures will, at the request of the purchasing government, be established concerning follow-on logistic support for items of defense equipment, purchased pursuant to this MOU. Both Governments will make their defense logistic systems and resources available for this purpose as required and mutually agreed.

1. Representatives of the two Governments will be appointed to determine in detail the procedures for implementing this MOU and the therms of reference for a Netherlands-U.S. Committee for Procurement Cooperation.
2. The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in cooperation with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics, the Director, Defense Security Assistance Agency, and other appropriate Department of Defense officials, will be the responsible authority in the United States Government for the development of implementing procedures under this MOU.
3. The Director General for Materiel in the Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with other appropriate government authorities, will be the responsible authority of the Government of the Netherlands for the development of the implementing procedures under this MOU.

1. Each Government will be responsible for calling to the attention of the relevant industries within its territory the basic understanding of this MOU, together with appropriate implementing guidance. Both Governments will take all necessary steps so that the industries comply with the regulations pertaining to security and to safeguarding classified information.
2. Implementing of this MOU will involve full industrial participation. Accordingly, the Governments will arrange to inform their respective procurement and requirements offices concerning the principles and objectives of this MOU. However, primary responsibility for finding business opportunities in areas of research and development and production shall rest with the industries in each nation.

To the extent that any items, plans, specifications or information furnished in connection with the specific implementation of this MOU are classified by either Government for security purposes, the other Government shall maintain a similar classification and employ all measures necessary to preserve such security equivalent to those measures employed by the classifying Government throughout the period during which the classifying Government may maintain such classifications.

1. The Netherlands-U.S. Committee for Procurement Cooperation, referred to in Article II above, will meet as agreed or at the request of either Government to review progress in implementing the MOU. They will discuss research and development, production and procurement needs of each nation and the likely areas of cooperation; agree to the basis of, and keep under review, the financial statement referred to below; and consider any other matters relevant to the MOU.
2. Each Government will designate points of contact at the Ministry of Defense level and in each purchasing service/agency under the Ministries of Defense.
3. An annual United States-Netherlands statement of the current balance, and long-term trends, of R&D cooperation and purchases between the two nations will be prepared on a basis to be mutually agreed. Such statement will take account of United States-Netherlands purchases of defense equipment and services and related offset agreements effected in the years from 1973 onwards and will be periodically reviewed.

Annexes negotiated by the responsible officials and approved by the appropriate Government authorities will be incorporated in this MOU.

1. This MOU will remain in effect for a ten-year period and will be extended for successive five-year periods, unless the Governments mutually decide otherwise.
2. If, however, either Government considers it necessary for compelling national reasons to terminate its participation under this MOU before the end of the ten-year period, or any extension thereof, written notification of its intention will be given to the other Government six months in advance of the effective date of termination. Such notification of intent shall become a matter of immediate consultation with the other Government to enable the Governments fully to evaluate the consequences of such termination and, in the spirit of cooperation, to take such actions as necessary to alleviate problems that may result from the termination. In this connection, although the MOU may be terminated by the Parties, any contract entered into consistent with the terms of this MOU shall continue in effect, unless the contract is terminated in accordance with its own terms.
3. The Parties hereto agree that, for the purposes of this MOU, references to the Kingdom of the Netherlands shall apply only to its territory in Europe.

This MOU will come into effect on the date of the last signature.