MEP demands EU action on arms exports
18 January 2007
Delays in implementing new EU rules on arms sales are costing lives inconflict zones around the world, Green Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas haswarned ahead of a parliamentary debate in Brussels.
"The EU Code of Conduct on arms exports aims to keep deadly weapons out ofthe 'wrong hands' in military conflicts," she said.
"But despite being signed eight years ago the EU's Council of ministers hasfailed to agree it will be implemented - and every day it is delayed peopleare being killed by weapons made in Europe."
Speaking ahead of a European Parliament debate and vote on the annual reporton the implementation of the EU Code of Conduct on arms exports today, DrLucas, who is co-founder and co-president of the European Parliament'scross-party group on peace initiatives, and a member of the decision-makingnational council of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, added:
"It is unacceptable that a handful of Member States, which have madeagreement on the Code of Conduct dependant on the lifting of the armsembargo on China, can use narrow commercial interests to block EU armsexports rules, which aim to prevent human rights violations and armedconflict.
"The debates on the Code of Conduct and the China arms embargo must beseparated so that agreement on the code can be reached without delay toaddress the current legal limbo.
"EU arms (or arms components) still find their way to countries under UN orEU arms embargoes (such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq andChina), as well as sensitive or unstable regions, where arms fuel internaltensions and regional instability.
"The code must be strengthened and member states should agree to implementit without delay.
"In addition, it is important to ensure that arms collected in the contextof EU-led peacekeeping missions are destroyed and do not turn up in otherconflicts at a later point. We need to build on the momentum of therecently-adopted UN resolution to create a global arms transfer treaty."
