Europe Seeks Competition For New Launcher

"The launcher debate took an odd turn in April,
however, when ESA Director General Jean-
Jacques Dordain bucked 35 years of European
acquisition policy—agency-specific rules that
guarantee member states industry work-share
in return for financial backing—and instead
called for a competitive, requirements-based
approach to buying Europe's next-generation
launcher. By June the agency will select two
industry proposals to kick off year-long design
studies under the so-called New European
Launch Services (NELS) program, with work
expected to begin before July."

See:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article....p60-457981.xml