EU arms control 'needs strengthening'
Friday, 06 Jun 2008 08:15
EU's arms controls need overhaul, report says
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The European Union's arms control code has been outdated by globalisation and needs strengthening urgently, according to a report published today.
The non-governmental organisation, which works in Africa, Asia and Europe to prevent and reduce conflict, says reform is needed to prevent components legitimately manufactured in Europe being supplied to regimes not meeting the EU's approval.
North Korea, Sudan, the Ivory Coast and Israel are among the countries to which products containing European-manufactured parts have been sold in the last decade.
Saferworld says the EU code of conduct on arms control must be overhauled to address the loopholes through which this process takes place.
"The arms trade is no longer just about exporting finished products," head of arms transfer controls Roy Isbister said.
"Today, companies manufacture a plethora of components, kit parts and sub-assemblies that are shipped to destinations around the world. Some of these components may be innocuous in themselves but, once outside EU control, they can be incorporated into weapons systems that may then be exported on to countries the EU would not otherwise supply military equipment to."
The code must be turned into a legally-binding common position, Saferworld says. It also wants to see better control of EU citizens' engagement in arms brokering outside the EU and tightening controls on equipment use once it has been exported from EU territory.
The original code celebrates its tenth anniversary this weekend.