(Acts adopted pursuant to Title V of the Treaty on European Union)
ANNUAL REPORT
on the implementation of the EU Joint Action of 17 December 1998 on the European Union’s
contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and lightweapons (1999/34/CFSP) and the EU programme on illicit trafficking in conventional arms of June
1997
(2001/C 216/01)
INTRODUCTION
On 26 June 1997, the EU programme for preventing and
combating illicit trafficking in conventional arms was adoptedby the General Affairs Council of the European Union, and on17 December 1998, the Council adopted a Joint Action on theEuropean Union’s contribution to combating the destabilisingaccumulation and uncontrolled spread of small arms and lightweapons. Since then, the Member States have gained
considerable experience in addressing the scourge of small
arms and light weapons through specific actions in variousaffected regions of the world.
In pursuing the objectives of the Joint Action, the EU has
enhanced its efforts to build consensus in regional and
international fora (e.g. the United Nations and theOrganisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) andamong affected States. The EU has participated actively in thepreparations for the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade inSmall Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (New York,9 to 20 July 2001), as well as in the negotiations of theProtocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking inFirearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunitionsupplementing the United Nations Convention againstTransnational Organised Crime, adopted by the UN GeneralAssembly on 31 May 2001. The EU has also had manybilateral contacts in the framework of political dialogue.
This report is structured in three parts. Part I covers the
national efforts to address the problems related to small armsin the Member States, such as inter-agency cooperation, newlyenacted legislation and support for relevant research. Part IIdeals with international measures, such as assistance toprojects conducted by international or regional organisations,or non-governmental organisations, assistance to affected
States and organising international conferences. EU
cooperation with other States is also included in Part II.Finally, in Part III, the priorities for a more systematicapproach to EU assistance in the field of small arms and lightweapons (SALW) are discussed.The scope of this report is, in principle, limited to the year
2000. However, since it is the first report under the JointAction, it also contains some information on prior activities.As a background, the Joint Action and the programme aresummarised below.
The associated countries of central and eastern Europe and
Cyprus and the EFTA countries members of the EEA have
aligned themselves with this programme and the Joint Action.
The Joint Action (1999/34/CFSP) on the European Union’s
contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spreadof small arms and light weapons
The EU adopted a Joint Action (JA) on small arms on 17
December 1998. The JA proposes a series of objectives,principles and measures that apply to all countries. It also calls
upon the EU to contribute to specific actions in support of the
JA’s objectives. The objectives include combating thedestabilising accumulation and uncontrolled spread of smallarms, contributing towards the reduction of existingaccumulations to levels consistent with legitimate securityneeds, and helping to solve the problems caused by suchaccumulations.
In order to realise these objectives, the EU has pledged to work
towards building consensus in the relevant international fora,for the realisation of a series of principles and measures aimedat preventing the further destabilising accumulation of smallarms. These include:
 a commitment by all countries to import and hold arms
only for their legitimate security needs, and by exporting
countries to supply small arms only to governments, in
accordance with appropriate international and regionalrestrictive arms export criteria, as provided in particular inthe EU Code of Conduct on arms exports,1.8.2001 C 216/1 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
 the establishment and maintenance of national inventories
of weapons owned by State authorities, and theestablishment of restrictive national arms legislation forsmall arms,
 the establishment of confidence-building measures,
including measures to promote increased transparency andopenness. This could be achieved through regionalregisters on small arms, and regular exchanges of availableinformation on exports, imports, production and holdingsof small arms, and on national arms legislation,
 combating illicit trafficking of small arms through the
implementation of effective national controls of armstransfers,
 challenging and reversing cultures of violence by
enhancing public involvement through public educationand awareness programmes.
Furthermore, the EU will aim at building consensus at regional
and international levels for a series of measures aimed atreducing existing accumulations of small arms. Such measures
could include:
 assistance to countries seeking to control or eliminate
surplus small arms on their territory,
 promotion of confidence-building measures and incentives
to encourage the voluntary surrender of surplus orillegally-held weapons, the disarmament anddemobilisation of combatants and their subsequentrehabilitation and reintegration into civil society,
 the effective removal of surplus small arms to safe storage,
as well as their quick and effective destruction, preferablyunder international supervision,
 the rendering of assistance through appropriate
international organisations, programmes and agencies aswell as regional arrangements.
In this respect, the EU has undertaken to provide financial and
technical assistance to projects which make a directcontribution to the realisation of the abovementionedprinciples. These include programmes and projects conductedby the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross,
other international organisations and regional arrangements, as
well as NGOs. The projects might include, inter alia , weapons
collection, security sector reform, and demobilisation andreintegration programmes, as well as specific victim assistanceprogrammes.The EU programme for preventing and combating illicit trafficking in
conventional arms
The EU programme for preventing and combating illicit
trafficking in conventional arms was adopted by the GeneralAffairs Council on 26 June 1997.
The programme seeks to address the problems of illicit
trafficking in conventional arms, particularly small arms, bothwithin the EU and in countries affected by illicit trafficking insmall arms. The programme consists of three main parts. Thefirst part suggests the fostering of enhanced law enforcementcooperation and improving information exchange on illicittrafficking. The second part encourages the EU and its MemberStates to assist other countries in preventing and combatingillicit trafficking of arms, e.g. by strengthening laws andadministrative measures for regulating and monitoring thetransfers of arms, and providing an adequate number ofappropriately trained police and customs officials for theenforcement of national arms export control legislation. Thethird part of the programme outlines ways for the EU and itsMember States to assist affected countries, especially in postconflict situations, in suppressing the illicit circulation andtrafficking of arms, e.g. by setting up weapons collections,
buy-back and destruction programmes, and setting up
educational programmes to promote awareness among thelocal population of the negative consequences of illicittrafficking in small arms.
A first annual report on the programme was published on 8
July 1998, and a second on 19 January 2000. The reportingprocedure under the programme is now coordinated with thatof the Joint Action. Thus, the present report covers theprogramme as well as the Joint Action.
PART I
NATIONAL EFFORTS TO ADDRESS SMALL ARMS RELATED
PROBLEMS
I.A. Cooperation, coordination and exchange of
information between administrative and lawenforcement agencies, etc
As regards cooperation, coordination and exchange of
information between administrative and law enforcementagencies, and other similar measures, the Member States haveprovided the following information.
InIreland the police service cooperates with the Irish customs
and excise authorities and the Irish armed forces in theirefforts to enforce firearms legislation. Forensic testing andtracing of all seized firearms is carried out centrally by GardaHeadquarters.C 216/2 1.8.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
In Sweden police authorities cooperate with the customs
authority, the National Inspectorate of Strategic Products, andthe Swedish armed forces in addressing the problems of illicitarms trafficking and the presence of illegal arms. In the normalprocess of investigating arms violations, authorities assist eachother as a matter of routine. The National Laboratory ofForensics maintains a weapons reference library, and also alibrary with firing test data relating to seized weapons. Swedenis, together with Denmark and Norway, developing a Nordic
weapons trace database.
InItaly an ad hoc group on small arms and light weapons,
coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was establishedin June 2000. This group includes representatives of allrelevant ministries and law enforcement agencies, as well as arepresentative of the National Industrial Association of ArmsProducers. A useful dialogue on SALW has also been initiatedby the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with some Italian NGOs.
The Ministry is, furthermore, supporting a study on the Italian
production and export of SALW, to be completed by thebeginning of the UN Conference on small arms.
InSpain law enforcement agencies organise yearly courses on
weapons and explosives and their criminal use, a well as
seminars to share and update information on this issue, andinformation on technology applied to weapons and explosives.A new computer based system, shared by the different lawenforcement agencies and designed to identify weaponssuspected of being linked to crimes, became operative in early2000.
In the United Kingdom an inter-departmental small arms policy
committee was established in 1997 under the chairmanship ofthe Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Committee meetsquarterly to monitor and coordinate policy developments onSALW issues. There is also ongoing and regular dialogue withinterested NGOs on the subject.
I.B. Newly enacted legislation, reviews of the practical
function of existing legislation
As regards newly enacted legislation and reviews of the
practical function of existing legislation, the Member Stateshave provided the following information.
InFrance an effort to reform the law applicable to brokers and
other intermediaries engaged in commercial arms and
war-related materiel transactions is underway. A bill has justbeen approved by the Prime Minister and will be adopted inthe coming months. The new legislation requires brokers tosubmit their activities to prior authorisation and obliges them
to keep a special register containing details of theirtransactions. Brokers will also be subjected to periodic controlby the authorities. This regime applies not only to brokers, butalso to intermediaries, and goes beyond small arms and lightweapons, as it concerns all arms and war-related materialsubject to national regulation.
InIreland exports of SALW are controlled under the Control of
Exports Act (1983). The Control of Exports Order provides aschedule of goods that may not be exported without a licenceissued at the discretion of the Minister for Enterprise, Tradeand Employment. A Revised Control of Exports Order wasissued in 2000 to further streamline Irish licensingrequirements for exports of all items on the military list. Thepossession, use and carriage of firearms are regulated in Irelandby legislation contained in various firearms Acts. Regulationswith respect to the safe storage of licensed firearms are
currently being reviewed.
InBelgium the Minister of Justice, in 2000, elaborated a
security plan that deals, inter alia , with small arms. A new law
that will substantially modify existing legislation is scheduledto be submitted to Parliament.
InSweden , possession, trade and importation of firearms are
regulated by the Firearms Act and the Military Equipment Act.Certain amendments in order to further prevent firearms frombeing used in criminal activities, and other abuse of suchweapons, were made to the firearms legislation in 2000. Thenew legislation stipulates, inter alia , that local police authorities
are required to inspect that the provisions concerning the safestorage of firearms are adhered to. Arms dealers are notallowed to have automatic firearms in stock. An automaticfirearm can only be ordered when the dealer has a licensedbuyer for it. Authorisation to possess handguns and automaticfirearms is limited in time to up to five years. Private citizensmay hand in unlicensed firearms to police authorities,whereupon possible charges for illegal possession may bedropped.
In December 2000 the United Kingdom announced that it
would soon publish draft legislation (the Export Control andNon-Proliferation Bill) that would, inter alia , introduce powers
to license brokering transactions. The Bill was subsequently
published in March 2001. In July 2000, the United Kingdom
published its third Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls,covering the 1999 calendar year. This saw a new level oftransparency in a Report that will become ever more specificand detailed in the future.1.8.2001 C 216/3 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
In Italy the issue of SALW has been discussed in the
Parliament, where the Committee for Foreign Affairs of theChamber of Deputies in October approved a resolutionobliging the Government  to take a strong stand, in allcompetent international fora, in support of the fight againstthe uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons and  to strengthen, also at national level, the measuresintended to intensify or better coordinate the efforts to fightagainst the trade of SALW .
In April 2000 Italy published its tenth Annual Report on
import, export and transit of defence equipment (bothauthorisations and deliveries) in accordance with Act No185/1990. The Report, which is addressed to the Parliamentbut is also made available to the public, provides a largeamount of information by the six ministries involved in thesystem of scrutiny of defence equipment exchanges.
InGermany , a motion to change the Weapons Act, which
mainly relates to the possession and use of weapons insideGermany, has been drafted. The draft is still under discussion.In January 2000 the Federal Government adopted amendmentsto the Political Principles for the Export of War Weapons andother Military Equipment. These Political Principles areapplicable to the export of all small arms and light weapons.The main amendment consists of a stronger emphasis on thehuman rights situation in the recipient country, which has tobe taken into account when making any export decision. Inaddition, the importance of securing the end-use of theexported weapons was highlighted. Finally, it was stressed thatthe EU Code of Conduct forms an integral part of the PoliticalPrinciples.
In the Netherlands the maximum penalty for illegal possession
of, and trade in small arms was increased in 2000. TheParliamentary Assembly further agreed to draft legislation onthe transit of military items. This law is likely to enter intoforce during 2001.
InLuxembourg existing legislation relating to small arms is
currently under review.
I.C. Other initiatives or activities, e.g. support for
relevant research
The Member States have also reported on other initiatives and
activities to combat the accumulation and uncontrolled spread,and to prevent illicit trafficking, of small arms, such as supportfor research projects.
InFrance the publication of the following two documents
represents an effort to achieve greater transparency, aiming toreach a large public.
(a) The Defence Minister’s Report to Parliament on French
exports of military related materials in 1999. This reportsets out to Parliament, and, more generally, to the public,
the position of France, and her actions on the internationallevel regarding the fight against the proliferation anduncontrolled circulation of small arms and light weapons.The report makes a substantive attempt to increasetransparency by indicating, by country of origin, thenumber of prior exports authorisations, by categoriesdefined by the Joint Action of the European Union.Notably, it provides information concerning remuneratedand non-remunerated transfers that were effected in 1999by the Ministry of Defence, particularly with regard tosmall arms and light weapons. It should also be noted thatthe separation between the function of export promotionand that of control has been reinforced.
The report is available on the internet, at
http://www.defense.gouv.fr, under the heading actualitØ,
and tous les dossiers en ligne.
(b) The brochure Arms control, disarmament and
non-proliferation: French Policy published in 2000,available in French and in English, deals with the issue ofSALW. Extensively distributed, it contributes to makingFrench action in this area available to a wide audience.
Sweden has supported the following projects at the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI):
 Military expenditure data for African countries, SEK
1 million,
 Conflicts and small arms transfers, SEK 480 000. This
project is in cooperation with the Swiss-based Small ArmsSurvey,
 Internet database on European conventional arms export
Controls, SEK 1,5 million. The purpose of the project isinformation and verification of the EU Code of Conduct onarms exports, with a focus on east and central Europe,
 Conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa,
SEK 500 000. This is a part of the SIPRI Conflictprevention and armed responses research programme.
In the Netherlands an exhibition on SALW was organised at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague in January 2000.From 1 to 12 November 2000, the Ministry of Justiceorganised a campaign to collect illegal firearms amongst
civilians through exemption from the usual penalty. The
collected firearms will be destroyed. Some have already beendestroyed symbolically  they were crushed with a roadroller.C 216/4 1.8.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
InDenmark the defence authorities have destroyed 30 300
machine guns and 14 400 rifles between 1989 and 2000 as afollow-up to the UN General Assembly resolution Illicit trafficin small arms.
In December 2000 the United Kingdom mounted a Focus
International paper on SALW on the Foreign andCommonwealth Office website, setting out United Kingdominvolvement in the SALW debate.
PART II
EFFORTS AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL TO ADDRESS
SMALL ARMS RELATED PROBLEMS
In the international field, actions are taken by both the EU and
the individual Member States. The following information has
been provided.
II.A. EU action
The EU is active both as regards assistance to and cooperation
with States and international and regional organisations.
II.A.1. Projects supported by the EU
The European Union has taken the following actions as
regards technical, financial and other assistance given to
projects conducted by the UN, the ICRC, other international
organisations and regional arrangements, and NGOs, as well asto other States, especially those in affected regions:
On 10 May 1999 the Council adopted an implementing
Decision (1999/320/CFSP) (
1) of the Joint Action on a
European Union contribution to the collection and destructionof weapons in Albania. This decision aimed at contributing topromoting the collection and destruction of weapons in theGramsh district in Albania. The EU contribution of EUR500 000 was allocated to the disarmament component of theUN DDA and UNDP pilot project. Furthermore, the Councilamended the Decision on 17 December 1999(1999/846/CFSP) (
2) in order to extend the project to Elbasan
and Peskopja districts of Albania. On 5 April 2000 the UNDP
informed the EU Commission that it was unable to fulfil theterms of a draft contract proposed by the Commission inaccordance with the implementing Decision. For this reasonthe Council decided to repeal the two Decisions on 20November 2000 (
3).On 17 December 1999 the Council adopted an implementing
Decision (1999/845/CFSP) (4) of the Joint Action with a view
to an EU contribution to combating the destabilisingaccumulation and uncontrolled spread of SALW inMozambique. With this Decision the EU contributed to thelocation, collection and destruction of weapons inMozambique through the joint cross-border operationsbetween the South African Police and the Mozambique Police(Operation Rachel). The EU provided EUR 200 000 for thesupport of the South African Police Service, which was actingas an implementing agency, in the acquisition of fuel, airsupport, explosives and accessories as well as ration packs anddaily allowances. The project will be successfully completedduring the first half of 2001.
On 15 November 1999 the Council adopted the Decision
1999/730/CFSP implementing the Joint Action with a view toan EU contribution to combating the destabilisingaccumulation and uncontrolled spread of small arms and lightweapons in Cambodia (
5). With this decision, the EU
contributed EUR 500 000 to promoting control, collection anddestruction of weapons in Cambodia. A Project Manager, H.J.van der Graaf, was appointed to carry out the project. He hasbeen based in Phnom Penh. The Decision expired on 15November 2000 but the Council decided to extend themandate of the project manager and adopted a new Decision2000/724/CFSP (
6) on 20 November 2000. This Decision will
provide a further EUR 1 300 000 to the project, which isconducted in close cooperation with the government of
Cambodia.
On 14 December 2000 the Council adopted an EU
contribution of EUR 90 000 to the local police forces in SouthOssetia for a programme aiming at granting them equipmentfor the collection and destruction of SALW. This contributionis meant to influence public opinion in favour of civildisarmament, to consolidate and develop participation of civilsociety in the process of arms collection and destruction andto create a climate of security and reconciliation amongpopulations.
On 12 March 2001 the Council adopted an EU contribution
to combating the small arms problem in Latin America and
the Caribbean, through the projects of the United Nations
Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development inLatin America and the Caribbean, located in Lima (Peru). Thiscontribution seeks to help the Centre in its training activitiesfor customs and police officials, by means of appropriateinstruction and in its project of making available equipmentthat permits the creation of databases on the accumulation of
(1) OJ L 123, 13.5.1999, p. 12.
(2) OJ L 326, 18.12.1999, p. 74.
(3) OJ L 292, 20.11.2000, p. 2.(4) OJ L 326, 18.12.1999, p. 73.
(5) OJ L 294, 16.11.1999, p. 5.
(6) OJ L 292, 21.11.2000, p. 3.1.8.2001 C 216/5 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
SALW in this region. The EU contribution amounts to
EUR 345 000.
II.A.2. EU cooperation with other States
At the EU-USA Summit of 17 December 1999 it was decided
to establish a Working Group on SALW for regular exchangesat the expert level with a view to increasing cooperation andinformation sharing and evaluate progress achieved by the EUand the United States of America on small arms issues. TheGroup meets at least once during each EU Presidency. At its
meetings in December 2000 and June 2001 it has been
focusing on the UN 2001 Conference. As part of thepreparations for that Conference the EU Troika has had anumber of informal meetings with the United States ofAmerica.
Following the EU-Canada Summit Declaration on the
Establishment of a Joint Working Group on Small Arms of 16
December 1999, the Working Group has met every sixmonths, lately focusing, inter alia , on the preparations for the
UN 2001 Conference. The Working Group met in December2000 and May 2001. Informal meetings with Canada havealso been held. An EU-Canada Workshop entitled Small armsand light weapons destruction in the context of peace supportoperations was held in Ottawa on 15 and 16 May 2001.
In 1998 the EU and the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) adopted the regional Action Programmeon light arms and illicit trafficking, providing a framework foraction as regards, inter alia , illicit trafficking, strengthening of
legal controls of arms transfers, removal of arms from societyand enhancing transparency. In 1999 an EU-SADC WorkingGroup on small arms was established which met for the firsttime in June 2000. During its second meeting in April 2001the Working Group discussed areas of concrete cooperationand the preparations for the UN 2001 Conference.
In the margin of the Multi-Disciplinary Group (MDG) meetings
have been held between the EU Member States and a numberof the G-8 countries, as well as Mexico, as part of thepreparations for the negotiations on the UN Firearms Protocol.
II.A.3. Internal EU cooperation
Within the framework of the Third Pillar Police Cooperation
Working Group (PCWG) operational project against illicit armstrafficking (Project Arrow), Member States’ police authorities
and customs services are cooperating. The purpose is to
achieve the objective of a joint EU strategic summary reviewand analysis of illicit trafficking in arms. Project Arrow whichis coordinated by Finland, was implemented as a jointoperation against illicit arms trafficking, and was realised in
the form of a joint European action from 13 to 26 November2000.
II.B. Member State action
The EU Member States are providing financial, technical and
other forms of assistance to projects run by the UN, by otherinternational or regional organisations and by NGOs. Inaddition, the Member States are supporting affected Statesdirectly.
II.B.1. Member State support to UN projects
The Member States have provided support to the following
projects under the auspices of the UN.
France has implemented measures of financial assistance of
FRF 3 million for PCASED (the Programme for coordination
and assistance for security and development, implemented by
the UNDP), and FRF 2,5 million, over five years, for the UnitedNations Regional Centre in LomØ.
Sweden has made the following contributions to UN projects
related to SALW:
 SEK 350 000 for the completion of the UN
Lessons-Learned Unit Monitoring the implementation ofthe principles and guidelines on disarmament,demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatantsconsultant project,
 USD 5 000 to fund the printing of the Disarmament,
demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants in apeacekeeping environment report by the UNLessons-Learned Unit,
 USD 15 000 to the Unidir peace building and practical
disarmament in West Africa project, which is linked toPCASED,
 USD 20 000 to the UN Regional Centre for Peace and
Disarmament in Africa, based in LomØ, for theestablishment of a clearing house for combating illicittrafficking in small arms,
 SEK 4 million to the UNDP Arms for development project
in Elbasanj, Albania,
 USD 350 000 to the implementation of the Ecowas
moratorium on the import, export and manufacture ofsmall arms, through the UNDP Programme for
coordination and assistance for security and development
(PCASED). Support will continue during 2001 (the totalSwedish contribution to PCASED amounts toUSD 1 million, which places Sweden among the topdonors to the Programme).C 216/6 1.8.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
Sweden is also contributing a junior professional officer to the
Lima-based UN Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament andDevelopment in Latin America, and USD 20 000 for trainingpolice and customs personnel, and for the establishment of aregional clearing house for firearms.
In addition, the Swedish National Defence College has, in
cooperation with the UN Department for PeacekeepingOperations, contributed to international courses in
Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of
ex-combatants (DD&R) in Zimbabwe, Canada, Sweden andGhana, using a curriculum put together by representativesfrom the Lester B. Pearson Peacekeeping Centre of Canada, theNorwegian Armed Forces International Centre and the SwedishNational Defence College. The first course in Sweden tookplace in September 2000, and drew around 20 internationalparticipants, who represented the military and variousgovernmental and non-governmental organisations. Theobjective of the course was to give a comprehensive view ofpeace support missions in order to increase the understandingof activities and programmes needed for peaceful development,as well as to share experiences from the field. A second coursewas given in June 2001. The Swedish Government hasawarded SEK 850 000 in support of this project.
Belgium has supported a UNIDIR-project on the role of civil
society in control of small arms in Western Africa.
Germany has supported the following UN projects with regard
to Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration ofex-combatants (DD&R):
 Unicef project in Sierra Leone for the reintegration of
children: DM 890 000,
 UN Mission in the Central African Republic (Minurca)
demobilisation and reintegration programme in the CentralAfrican Republic: USD 330 000,
 UN Department for Disarmament Affairs (UN DDA)
fact-finding mission in Niger for a Weapons in exchangefor development project: USD 61 000,
 UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa
(LomØ), programme for peace and disarmament in Africa:
USD 49 000.
The Netherlands contributed NLG 50 000 to the UN Regional
Centre in Lima for a project in Latin America and theCaribbean to train police and customs personnel.
Denmark has provided USD 5 000 to UN DDA for the
preparation and printing of Practical disarmament measures. Areference paper. This reference tool describes the origins, themandate and the evolution of the practical disarmament
measures approach to addressing specific situations, putsforward a set of considerations for evaluating project proposalsand sets up a sample design for formulating project proposals
Finland has contributed EUR 12 500 to Unidir for a small arms
trafficking project and EUR 8 350 to the United NationsDisarmament Information Programme for a project on smallarms information.
The United Kingdom has so far provided GBP 1 365 000 for
the UN weapons collection programme in Albania, which
includes GBP 610 000 through the United Nations
Development Programme for its pioneering project Weaponsin exchange for development. The United Kingdom, further,has provided GBP 300 000 to the Programme for coordinationand assistance for security and development (PCASED), whichseeks to implement the Ecowas Moratorium and to facilitatethe adoption of other measures in other regions in Africa.
II.B.2. Member State support to projects under the auspices of
other international organisations, and of NGOs
As regards support to projects under the auspices of
international organisations other than the UN, regionalarrangements and NGOs, the Member States have provided thefollowing information.
France supports the moratorium on the importation,
exportation and manufacture of small arms and light weaponsin west Africa, adopted by the Heads of State and Governmentof ECOWAS. Furthermore, France has provided financialsupport of FRF 330 000 to the National Conference of Mali
regarding small arms and light weapons, which took place in
November 2000. French action with regard to the fight againstillicit trafficking in small arms is essentially centred on bilateralcooperation. A number of efforts have been undertaken tosupport several African States to reinforce the operationalcapabilities of police and customs services within theframework of the fight against major trans-border trafficking,in which illicit arms trafficking is included (financialcontribution of FRF 13 million).
France has also contributed financially and logistically to the
Seminar for the implementation and application of theregulation of the control of international movement of firearms, their parts, components and ammunition, in Martiniqueon 23 and 24 May 2000, organised by the Inter-AmericanDrug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) in the context of
the Organisation of American States and the UN Regional
Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, which dealt with the question ofSALW.1.8.2001 C 216/7 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
Sweden has made the following contributions to international
projects related to SALW:
 SEK 3,3 million to a World Bank project for
demobilisation in Cambodia,
 USD 300 000 to the Organisation of African Unity for
regional preparations for the UN Conference on the illicit
trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects,
 SEK 1 million to the Arias Foundation for Peace and
Human Progress for the development of an internationalcode of conduct on arms transfers, and for preparations
for the UN Conference on Illicit Trade in Small Arms and
Light Weapons in All its Aspects.
Sweden has also supported the following research projects:
 the Graduate Institute of International Studies Small arms
survey project, which aims to increase the knowledge ofmanufacture, transfers, stockpiling and use of small arms,and to establish best practices for the regions that theproject focuses on, with SEK 180 000 annually. This is a
Swiss project supported also by Germany, Denmark (CHF
70 000) Great Britain (GBP 30 000) ) and the Netherlands(NLG 100 000), as well as by Canada and Norway,
 the Saferworld Tackling the spread of light weapons:
deepening collaboration between EU Member States and
associate countries programme of seminars, with SEK200 000, February 1999 to January 2001,
 the Monterey Institute Practical guide for working in
weapons-abundant areas: identification, safe handling,
collection and destruction, with SEK 135 000. This projectis also supported by Switzerland,
 the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies’
project on the proliferation of small arms in Southern
Africa, with SEK 600 000.
Belgium has supported a study on the production of arms
abroad under Belgian licence by the Belgian NGO Vrede.Belgium has also supported the project Gun-free South Africa,
in coordination with the Belgian NGO Broederlijk Delen. The
purpose of the project is to raise the awareness in civil societyregarding the negative effects of the excessive spread of smallarms.
Germany has supported the Swords into ploughshares project
in Mozambique: USD 161 000 project with regard toDisarmament, demobilisation and reintegration ofex-combatants (DD&R).The Netherlands contributed NLG 43 000 to the publication of
the guide Tackling small arms and light weapons: a practicalguide for collection and destruction by the Programme onsecurity and development (SAND), the Monterey Institute ofInternational Studies and the Bonn International Centre forConversion (BICC). Finland made a contribution of EUR 8 000
to the same project.
The Netherlands further made the following contributions: NLG 900 000 to the joint project of the OAU/ISS on small
arms,
 GBP 70 000 to the joint project of Saferworld, BASIC and
International Alert Biting the bullet,
 NLG 100 000 to the project of Saferworld Tackling the
spread of light weapons: deepening collaboration betweenEU Member States and associate countries.
Units of the Italian Army participated in a number of external
operations, during which the following SALW were collectedor confiscated and subsequently destroyed:
The MSU-KFOR unit: four machine guns, 86 sub-machine
guns, 28 rifles, four anti-tank guns, 35 shotguns, 12 grenadelaunchers, 71 revolvers, five rifle grenades, and 60 handgrenades, were handed over to the Multinational BrigadeDestruction Centre.
The Italfor-BIH unit: one light machine gun, five automatic
rifles, two rifles and five portable launchers were collected and
destroyed.
The Italfor-Kosovo unit: 65 light machine guns, five heavy
machine guns, 15 mortars (14 destroyed), 43 anti-tank guns
(38 destroyed), four grenade launchers, eight anti-aircraft guns(five destroyed), 870 automatic rifles (865 destroyed), 391rifles (387 destroyed) and 31 shotguns (28 destroyed).
II.B.3. Actions taken by Member States in support of affected
states
The Member States have provided the following information as
regards technical, financial and other assistance given to other
States, especially those in affected regions:
In August, the United Kingdom facilitated an EU-funded
fact-finding visit to London by the Legal Adviser to the DeputyPrime Minister of Cambodia on United Kingdom SALWlegislation. In September, the United Kingdom formally handedC 216/8 1.8.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
over a United Kingdom-made Euroshear 4 000 weapons
destruction machine to the Royal Swaziland Police, andprovided training in its use.
In November 2000, the United Kingdom approved funding for
a small arms destruction fund to begin operation in2001/2002 with an allocation of GBP 140 000 for that year.United Kingdom forces continued to play a leading role in theweapons and ammunition collection programmes that formpart of Operation Leatherman in Kosovo and OperationHarvest in Bosnia.
The Italian and Albanian Ministries of Defence have drafted a
memorandum of understanding on cooperation, following theAgreement on Bilateral Cooperation for Defence between theItalian Government and the Albanian Government of 1995.The agreement aims at reorganising and strengthening theAlbanian Armed Forces. Italy will provide technical assistance,advice, equipment and materials in specific fields. The maingoals for cooperation are stabilising and normalising theBalkan area, and providing direct assistance in reorganising the
Albanian social-political framework during the sensitive
transition phase of the westernising and modernising process.An Italian Experts Delegation (DIE) has been established todevelop assistance and cooperation activities to assist theAlbanian armed forces in transforming and adapting theirmilitary structures. DIE has been operating in Albania since 28August 1997 together with Albanian experts.
Germany has supported disarmament, demobilisation and
reintegration programmes (DD&R) in Angola, Chad, Ethiopia,Eritrea, Mozambique, Somalia and Uganda. In the Philippinesthe reintegration of former Muslim combatants in Mindanao isbeing promoted within the framework of two projects(education and family health). Discussions are currentlyunderway concerning the provision of support to theGovernment of South Africa’s rationalisation programme(demobilisation and reintegration) via the Institute for SecurityStudies (ISS). Between 1999 and 2002 funding in the amountof DM 4 million is designated for the DD&R of formercombatants in Cambodia. For the integration of former
combatants in Mozambique DM 13,4 million has been
designated between 1994 and 2001. The DD&R ofex-combatants in Sierra Leone are being prepared in thecontext of a comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstructionprogramme amounting to DM 5,34 million.
For the development and extended application of measures to
control the trade in small arms in the Horn of Africa, fundingof DM 1,5 million is being provided by Germany between
2000 and 2002. For the contribution of developmentcooperation to reducing the uncontrolled spread and misuse ofsmall arms, funds amounting to DM 10 million are earmarkedfor the period 2001 to 2004. In addition, in applying anintegrated and comprehensive approach, several developmentprojects which have an impact on combating the small armsproblem are being funded, e.g. in connection withsecurity-sector reform, good governance and promotingadvocacy through civil-society organisations.
In November 2000 Germany initiated a project aiming at the
effective destruction of small arms in Albania within theframework of the Stability Pact for southeast Europe: FromDecember 2000 to April 2001 40 000 SALW have beendestroyed by an expert team from the Albanian Ministry ofDefence in cooperation with German specialists who providetraining as well as special material and equipment. DM500 000 has been designated for this purpose. The project isbased on a Memorandum of 7 September 2000, in which the
Government of Albania has committed itself to destroy the
small arms and light weapons looted during the 1997 crisis,including those that have already been collected and will becollected in the future from the civilian population.
The Netherlands has contributed NLG 300 000 to the OSCE
Voluntary Fund for Moldova for the withdrawal of Russian
military equipment from Transdniestria. The Netherlands alsofinanced the participation of a national expert for destructionof ammunition to the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
The Netherlands has contributed to the realisation of the
Flamme de la Paix in Niger with NLG 25 000. Denmark
allocated DKR 145 000 to this project. Belgium has also
contributed.
In the autumn of 2000 Finland funded two consultants in
order to prepare small arms surveys, one in Guatemala and the
other in Bosnia-Herzegovina. This year Finland is planning to
implement some initiatives and recommendations given inthese surveys.
The Spanish Guardia Civil gives technical assistance to law
enforcement agencies in countries like Nicaragua, Guatemala,
El Salvador, Mozambique and Timor. This assistance includes
the control of small arms and explosives.
II.C. Organising and participating in international
seminars and conferences by Member States
The Member States have provided the following information as
regards organising and supporting international seminars andconferences. In addition, the EU Member States haveparticipated in numerous seminars and workshops on exportcontrols and on small arms and light weapons.
In February the United Kingdom funded the Kampala
Conference on Tackling small arms proliferation in eastern1.8.2001 C 216/9 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
Africa and the Greater Horn, which led to an outline Action
Plan for the subregion which will tackle the subject of armstrafficking. DFID has contributed funding for follow-upmeetings in connection with this Action Plan. The UnitedKingdom is supporting five follow-up workshops beingorganised by Saferworld and the Inter-Governmental Authorityfor Development.
Austria has contributed financially to the organisation of a
regional roundtable, on 14 and 15 April 2000 in Tblisi,Georgia, entitled Small arms  large measures: curbing arms
transfers as a conflict prevention strategy in the south
Caucasus. The roundtable was organised jointly by theEast-West Institute and by Saferworld. Finland was one of the
moderators of the roundtable. Austria provided a keynotespeaker, and French experts attended. Austria also provided
financial assistance to two delegations for their participation atthe OSCE-Seminar on small arms and light weapons, in Viennafrom 3 to 5 April 2000 and provided a keynote speaker. TheNetherlands and Finland provided financial assistance to three
delegations for their participation. Finland provided one of themoderators. As Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, Austria, togetherwith International Alert and Saferworld, organised a side eventon SALW (Tackling small arms  the OSCE Initiative and theUN 2001 Conference), on 27 November 2000, on the marginsof the OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Vienna.
The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs attended the EU/SADC
Ministerial Meeting, held in Gaborone, Botswana, on 29 and30 November 2000. The Minister introduced the issue ofSALW through his speech. The meeting resulted in theadoption of the EU/SADC Declaration on Small Arms.Denmark has given USD 30 000, of which USD 10 000 will be
used for follow-up, Finland EUR 30 000, and the United
Kingdom GBP 50 000 in support of the Great Lakes Region
and Horn of Africa Conference on small arms, held in Nairobifrom 12 to 15 March 2000 which was organised by theSecurity Research and Information Centre (SRIC) and theUnited Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crimeand the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI).
Finland organised the international workshop Action plan for
small arms  goals for the 2001 UN Conference workshop inSaariselkä, Finland, in December 2000. The workshop wasorganised in association with Saferworld, BASIC andInternational Alert and formed a part of their Biting the bulletproject, in preparation for the UN 2001 Conference.
Belgium has sponsored a seminar organised by Saferworld on
the control of illegal transfers with a special interest for the airtransport sector.
Germany has hosted an International Policy Dialogue
Conference on development and disarmament, on 31 Octoberand 1 November 2000 in Bonn, focusing on the SALW issue.In February 2000 Portugal organised a meeting with Amnesty
International on military, security and police equipmenttransfers, and participated in the Controlling the flow ofSALW from and through an enlarged EU seminar organisedby Saferworld.
II.D. EU and Member State participation in the work of
international organisations and regionalarrangements in the field of conventional arms,especially small arms and light weapons, andefforts to build consensus in relevant regional andinternational fora on the principles of the JointAction
II.D.1. The United Nations (in particular the preparations for the
UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light
Weapons in All Its Aspects)
Because of the importance that the EU attaches to the
measures to combat the uncontrolled spread and destabilisingaccumulation of small arms, the EU has taken an activeinterest in the preparations for the UN Conference on theIllicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
Aspects.
The EU has put forward proposals in key areas, such as export
controls and criteria, marking and tracing, brokering, stockpile
management, surplus and destruction, disarmament,demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, assistancefor implementation of concrete measures and follow-up, inpursuit of a politically binding programme of action withforward looking measures at the national, regional and globallevel.
In July 2000 the United Kingdom nominated Sir Michael
Weston as the United Kingdom candidate to chair theConference and in September he was endorsed as the EUcandidate.
In the margin of the first Preparatory Committee of the 2001
Conference, the Netherlands , together with Switzerland and
Norway, launched the initiative of a Group of Friends to the2001 Conference, designed to give further impetus to thePreparatory Committee process. On 28 and 29 September2000 the Netherlands, together with Hungary, organised anexpert workshop on destruction of SALW. This workshopresulted in a set of recommendations to the 2001 Conferencewhich were presented to the chair of the PreparatoryCommittee of the Conference. During the same Preparatory
Committee session, on 29 February 2000, the Netherlands
co-organised a public briefing with Saferworld, BASIC andInternational Alert.
France ,Belgium and the United Kingdom were represented on
the UN Group of Governmental Experts, established underUNGA resolution 54/54 V. In preparation for the 2001 UNC 216/10 1.8.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
Conference, this Group carried out a study on the feasibility of
restricting the manufacture and trade of SALW to persons whohad been authorised by States, including in its mandatebrokering activities, in particular transport and financialoperations related to illicit supplies. The United Kingdom andother Member States also participated actively in the work ofthe Geneva Group of countries working on SALW and theConference.
In view of the 2001 United Nations Conference, France ,i n
cooperation with Switzerland, presented, during the firstsession of the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conferenceon small arms, a discussion paper Contribution to theimplementation of an international action plan for the 20001Conference: The marking, identification and the control ofSALW. A seminar was organised on the issue in Geneva, on12 and 13 March 2001.
The EU Member States have actively taken part in the
negotiations on the Protocol against the illicit manufacturingof and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and
ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention
against transitional organised crime, which was adoptedwithout vote by the General Assembly on 31 May 2001. TheEU Commission had a negotiating mandate on certain articlesof the Protocol. France has organised a working meeting of the
Member States of the Francophonie on this theme in January2000.
Furthermore, Belgium ,Finland ,France ,Germany, the United
Kingdom and Sweden have participated in the work of the
United Nations Secretary-General’s Group of GovernmentalExperts on small arms, which has produced two reports on theissue.
II.D.2. The United Nations General Assembly
Member States have taken the following positions on the
resolutions relating to small arms issues, which were adoptedby the 55th General Assembly of the United Nations:
 Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament
measures (55/33 G)
 Germany (tabled), EU Member States co-sponsored
 Transparency in armaments (55/33 U)
 Germany and the Netherlands (tabled), EU Member States
co-sponsored
 Illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons (55/33 Q)
 EU Member States co-sponsored Assistance to States for curbing illicit traffic in small arms
and collecting them (55/33 F)
 EU Member States co-sponsored
 Relationship between disarmament and development
(55/33 L)
 adopted by consensus
II.D.3. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
EU Member States have participated actively in the work of the
OSCE in the field of SALW, which has, inter alia , resulted in
the adoption of the OSCE document on SALW, at the OSCEMinisterial Conference of 24 November 2000. The UnitedKingdom coordinated negotiations through its Chairmanshipof Working Group B of the Forum for Security Cooperation.The Document is a significant regional contribution tocombating the proliferation and misuse of SALW and a majorconfidence-building step towards the 2001 UN Conference.The United Kingdom has also provided support to the OSCESecretariat in this context.
II.D.4. The Economic Community of West African States
Sweden is represented in the PCASED Advisory Group. See
further section II.B.2 above on Member States’ financialsupport for ECOWAS and PCASED.
II.D.5. The Wassenaar Arrangement
The EU Member States participated actively in the work of the
Wassenaar Arrangement. For example, the United Kingdom has
encouraged ongoing discussion in the Wassenaar Arrangementabout the desirability and feasibility of including SALWtransfers in the information exchanges between participating
States.
II.D.6. Southern African Development Community
In regular bilateral contacts with SADC States, including at
ministerial level, the United Kingdom has supported efforts to
bolster the EU/SADC process and the implementation of the
EU/SADC regional action programme.
II.D.7. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation
EU Member States participate actively in the work of the
EAPC. Until May 2000 the United Kingdom chaired theEAPC/NATO Ad Hoc Working Group on SALW.1.8.2001 C 216/11 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
II.D.8. Other
The issue of SALW is regularly dealt with in the political
dialogue meetings at expert level with the associated countries
PART III
PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE ASSISTANCE OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION
III.A. Priority guidelines
The EU can make an important contribution towards
eradicating the problems caused by destabilising anduncontrolled spread of SALW. Working towards theelimination of this source of destabilisation and conflict will bea great contribution to preventing future conflicts. The actionsalready taken by the EU represent important steps in thisregard and should be followed up by determined efforts in thesame direction. The adoption by the UN Conference on theIllicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All ItsAspects, of a programme of action to prevent, combat anderadicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in allits aspects would add to the commitment taken earlier by theEU through its Joint Action on small arms.
With a view to improving and deepening the implementation
of the Joint Action and the programme, Member States haveidentified a number of guidelines on issues on which decisionsshould be taken or to which attention should be given in thenear future. These guidelines will obviously be subject toperiodical reviews, according to the experience accumulated inthe process of implementing EU projects
III.B. The need for a comprehensive approach
Although there is a wide recognition that further international
actions should be taken to deal with the problems of SALW,there are many complex factors and processes that need to betaken into account, such as international and internal security,trade, civil/military relations and the role of weapons insociety. These problems cannot be solved by one quick fix.They must be addressed through a comprehensive approachdealing with the different aspects of the problem ﬂ whichmight differ from region to region - and the solutions must besought through a wide range of agreed measures. MemberStates agreed that such efforts should aim both at thereduction of existing destabilising accumulations and at theprevention of further uncontrolled spread of these weapons.Through assistance, local capacities to address these issues canbe strengthened.
As regards financial support to SALW related projects, the
objective of the EU will be to strengthen the efforts to reducethe availability and supply of SALW to areas of conflict orpotential conflict, to help to develop a range of international
measures to limit the demand for SALW in such areas, and tohelp governments to cope with the problems these weaponscause. Such measures can be taken by the EU or at theMember State level, and by acting through the appropriateregional or global institutions. The respective efforts of theMember States and of the Commission will aim forcomplementarity, and reflect the ambition to deal with thedifferent aspects of the small arms problem at the national,sub-regional, regional and global level.
III.C. The need for targeted action
Countries with high levels of insecurity or violence cannot
make effective use of development assistance. Therefore,assistance to conflict-prone countries or regions should beprovided to promote security, disarmament, demobilisationand reintegration into the society of ex-combatants as anintegrated part of social and economic developmentprogrammes.
In those cases where the governments are actively concerned
with reducing the arms flow into and circulation of SALWwithin their region, the EU should cooperate with them in thistask. In practice, recipient governments may lack the capacityto implement their own control programmes. Therefore, theEU is prepared to consider providing practical support forinitiatives such as capacity building and training, awarenessraising etc.
III.D. The need for criteria for allocation of funds
Assistance from the EU for the projects that have been
supported up to now have been decided on an ad hoc basis.To ensure that all future projects are comprehensive andtargeted, the Member States have identified the following basiccriteria, against which the EU will make a preliminaryassessment of applications.
 Assistance by the EU in the field of SALW must be based
on a genuine political will in the recipient State.
 Assistance projects will be based on close cooperation with
the authorities in the recipient State and the role ofdifferent actors should be defined.
 The proposed projects will enhance either local, national
or regional security within the recipient State/region (e.g.contribute to control of small arms, confidence buildingmeasures, reconciliation, regional stability).C 216/12 1.8.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities EN
 In projects, which include a weapons collection
component, all weapons collected should, in principle, bedestroyed.
 Assistance in the field of SALW should be part of an
overall development and security strategy with regard tothe recipient country. In cases where this is not possible,the project proposal should outline how this activity willcontribute to integrating SALW policy into wider securityand development policy.
 For each project, clear objectives will be established and
bench marks and time lines identified, so as to make itpossible to assess impact of the project.
 Requests for assistance should clearly state how the
proposed project will further the aims and objectives ofthe EU Joint Action.
 Requests for assistance should clearly state how the
proposed project would enhance the recipient State’sability to implement existing regional or internationalcommitments.
EU Member States and the Commission will engage in a
dialogue within the relevant working groups with a view todeveloping or deepening common criteria for EU projects.III.E. The need for thorough assessment and evaluation
It is important that the projects supported by EU funds are
thoroughly assessed and evaluated. Measures to achieve thisinclude:
 The implementation of the projects should be according to
sound principles of financial management.
 A final report will be submitted at the end of a project,
summarising the results achieved.
 An assessment will be made in order to evaluate if its
objectives have been reached and if a follow-up is needed.Such an assessment will be made at least towards the endof the project. Projects, which are implemented over a longperiod of time, or to which the financial contribution ofthe European Union is important, will be assessed alsoduring the period of implementation.
 The assessment will be carried out by independent experts. The final report and the assessment will also be used to
identify lessons to be learned for future projects.1.8.2001 C 216/13 Official Journal of the European Communities EN