WRITTEN QUESTION E-3958/00 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Restructuring of the European defence industry.
Date: 2000-12-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, European undertaking, agreement (EU), arms industry, arms limitation, arms trade, code of conduct, export licence, industrial restructuring, peacekeeping

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/39

The agreement not to revise the 1945 decrees has been part of the coalition building process in the Slovak
Republic. It has been accepted as such by the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK). The Commission considers
this situation as an internal political affair of the Slovak Republic, on which it is not to pronounce any
judgements.

As regards the basic treaty with Hungary, the Commission welcomes that its implementation has been
launched by setting up a Joint Committee for Minority Issues, comprising representatives of the Hungarian
minority in Slovakia. The various working groups are basically functioning and have already achieved first
visible results, e.g. in the area of employment. It is now important that the implementation will not be
hampered by delays on both sides.

(2001/C 235 E/043)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3958/00

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Restructuring of the European defence industry

On 27 July 2000, at an armaments exhibition in Great Britain, an agreement on the restructuring and
operation of the European defence industry (cid:129) Framework Agreement Concerning Measures to Facilitate
the Restructuring and Operation of the European Industry (cid:129) was concluded between six European Union
Member States. That framework agreement will facilitate business for the international armaments industry
since it will now be possible for the country which made the final addition to a weapons system to issue
the export licence for the weaponry.

Does this comply with the EU(cid:146)s Code of Conduct on arms exports?

Does the signing of this agreement by Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and Germany not
run counter to the efforts being made to achieve peace in the world?

Reply

(7 May 2001)

The Framework Agreement between the French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Italian
Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland concerning measures to facilitate the restructuring and operation of the European
Defence industry was signed on 27 July 2000. One of the objectives of this agreement (article 1, d) is to
bring closer, simplify and reduce, where appropriate, national export control procedures for transfers and
exports of military goods and technologies.

When issuing export licences the signatory States of this Framework Agreement, which are all members of
the European Union, shall abide by the criteria set out by the EU Code of Conduct on arms exports
adopted by the Council on 8 June 1998. The internal situation in the country of final destination, as
a function of the (cid:145)existence of tensions or armed conflicts(cid:146) and the preservation of regional peace, security
and stability are among the criterions set out by the EU Code of Conduct, which are all designed to avoid
the risk that arms exports from EU Member States might be used for internal repression or international
aggression or regional instability.