WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2676/97 by Inger SCHÖRLING to the Commission. EU arms exports
Date: 1997-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, SCHOERLING
Subjects: European Union, arms trade, export (EU), export licence, export policy, human rights, military equipment, sale, war













EUR-Lex - 91997E2676 - EN






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91997E2676

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2676/97 by Inger SCHÖRLING to the Commission. EU arms exports  


Official Journal C 117 , 16/04/1998 P. 0042 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2676/97 by Inger Schörling (V) to the Commission (1 September 1997)Subject: EU arms exportsA report published by the Swedish peace movement on arms exports from EU Member States notes that between 1989 and 1995, EU Member States conducted arms deals with 32 countries involved in armed conflicts. This means that heavy weapon systems from the Member States could be found in most armed conflicts around the world. The report also points out that, since 1989, agreements on arms exports have been concluded between EU Member States and 27 countries which repeatedly and flagrantly violate human rights.Has the EU taken any initiatives to restrict international arms exports or required the member States to tighten up their policies on arms exports?Has the Commission drawn up its own report on arms exports or devised a plan with proposals on how arms exports may be restricted?Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (2 October 1997)At their June 1991 meeting the Heads of State and Government agreed that it should be possible to establish a common approach leading to the harmonisation of national arms export policies and identified certain criteria on which such an approach could be based; in June 1992 the Lisbon European Council added to the list of these criteria.In Amsterdam in June 1997 the Heads of State and Government decided that work should be started rapidly within the Community to develop a coherent and responsible policy on the control of arms exports.Community initiatives in this area over recent years have already produced general guidelines on how the above-mentioned common criteria should be interpreted and implemented. At present particular attention is being devoted to the question of what practical measures can be taken to tighten up the procedures relating to end-use accompanying documentation, to ensure that arms are not diverted to another end-use and that exporters comply with the conditions under which they were granted an export licence.The Community will be implementing as soon as possible the programme adopted at the end of June 1997 to forestall and combat illegal trafficking in conventional weapons.In January 1996 the Commission presented a Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on 'The challenges facing the European defence-related industry, a contribution for action at European level' ((COM(96) 10. )) which included suggestions about arms export policies. The Communication puts forwards a number of points for consideration on action the Community could take, and several of these are being analysed by the Council. During its May 1997 plenary sitting Parliament adopted a report by Mr Titley and a resolution broadly supporting the Commission's suggestions.The debate on the Titley report gave the Commission the opportunity to confirm that it intends to continue making an active contribution to initiatives aiming to give the Community a coherent policy on this matter.