European Parliament" "
“In principle, the export of arms to countries involved in armed conflicts ought to be prohibited”. The principle was established by the European Parliament. It did so on accepting, on 25 September, the fourth annual report of the Council on the implementation of the code of conduct for the export of arms, which prescribes minimum norms for the issuing of permits for the export of conventional weapons by member states. According to this report, described to the EP by Karl von Wogau, the current political context is characterised on the one hand by a link between regional instability, states in dissolution, organized crime and international terrorism and, on the other, by the enlargement of the European Union and by the launch, in the framework of European security and defence policy, of common measures with a view to a European policy of armaments and arms supplies. As far as the policy towards third countries is concerned, MEPs points out that, “with a view to the campaign against terrorism, conflict prevention, regional stabilization and respect for human rights, a clear and effective common policy in the sector of arms exports is needed”. According to MEPs, a system of verification and monitoring should be established to control the effective final destination of weapons, with the possibility of applying sanctions. In the field of controls on exports of arms to third countries, particular attention should be paid to products that could be used for both civil and military purposes, as well as to spare parts and products that could be used for a possible electronic war. As for the establishment of a common European market in armaments, MEPs ask that the controls on the transfers of arms within the European Union be gradually abolished. They also appeal to the candidate countries to reinforce their national legislations on the basis of the EU code of conduct. The new countries bordering on the enlarged Union and the countries with which the EU has concluded or intends to conclude stabilization and association agreements should also be invited to respect the code of conduct. MEPs lastly recommend the creation of a European Agency for the control of arms exports and ask that the policy of member states in the export sector be harmonised and become juridically binding.
