Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume II - International: EADS

The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company is the ultimate result of Europe's post-Cold War consolidation efforts. EADS comprises the activities of the founding partners Aerospatiale Matra SA of France, Construcciones Aeronauticas SA (CASA) of Spain, and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany. This triumvirate has had a long and successful history in the world's aerospace and defense industry, particularly through the Airbus consortium, of which all three are members.EADS was officially launched following its listing on the Madrid, Munich, and Paris stock exchanges on July-10, 2000. Plans for the company's formation were first announced in late 1999.

As of June 2010, Daimler and Sogeade (Lagardere and the French state holding company Sogepa) each held 22.46 percent of EADS. These two companies jointly control EADS through a Dutch law contractual partnership (the "Contractual Partnership"). SEPI (a Spanish state holding company) is also a party to the contractual partnership, holding 5.48 percent. The remaining 49.6 percent of the company's shares are publicly traded.

As of mid-2012, the company employed about 135,634 people around the world. EADS is an NV (Naamloze Vennootschap) company, according to Dutch company law in Amsterdam. The central functions of the company are performed in Munich and Paris.Note: For details on EADS' major subsidiaries, please refer to the separate Airbus and Eurocopter reports in this binder.