How can we stop EU exports of light weapons to countries which violate human rights? MEPs discuss the current problems and their solutions.

Focus: European Small Arms Exports

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15549085/M001-0061-EN.srt

Look at these light firearms,  sold for hunting or sport.

They are increasingly being used  to fuel conflicts in developing countries.

We've seen in Libya how some  European light weapons manufacturers

still sell to a country suspected  of not respecting human rights.

Europe is trying to implement a stricter  system of controls for light weapons

and is working towards setting up  an international agreement.

And how do we reconcile  protecting the arms market

Margherita Sforza went to Liège,  to the metalworkers' union headquarters,

which represents 15,000 workers  from the defence sector.

This is the seat of the Liège  Metalworkers' Union in Belgium.

It represents around 15,000 workers  from the defence sector.

A recent scandal has rocked Herstal,  the major arms factory in Wallonia.

In this video Libyan rebels are showing  weapons used by Gaddafi's army.

The weapons were manufactured  in Belgium, near Liège.

represent next to nothing  in the entire Libyan military arsenal.

We've done the maths  and they account for 0.003%.

These licences were granted  at a time when the entire world

believed that Libya  had come back into line.

The bulk of the Libyan arsenal  comes from China and Russia,

and was delivered without any controls,  so let's stop this hypocrisy.

In 2009 the Walloon government  authorised the export

of rifles, pistols and grenades  worth over 11 million euros to Libya.

Officially they were intended to protect  a humanitarian mission in Darfur.

So how did they end up being used  by Gaddafi's army to suppress the revolt?

It's what we call  an irresponsible transfer.

It's a transfer that is not illegal  since it's been authorised by a state,

but its legality is dubious  because certain risks are involved.

This case is quite flagrant because Libya  has been linked with illegal trafficking.

So, a rather mild interpretation  of the European criteria for arms exports.

In 2008 the European Union  approved a set of binding rules.

Governments should refuse  export licences

if there is a risk of human rights  being violated

or if there is instability  in the region.

Strict rules exist, but it is up  to the individual states to decide.

During 2009 we have evidence  of exports of arms and other material

to Libya  from at least eight EU countries.

but there were also exports from Italy,  the UK, France and Bulgaria.

The defence industry is, after all,  a major business concern in Europe.

Let's consider, for example,  pistols and rifles.

They're light arms accused of fuelling  conflicts in developing countries.

The US is the major exporter  on a global level,

but it is followed by Italy, Germany,  Austria and Belgium.

Russia, China and Iran  are also three major producers

but they provide few details  of their exports.

In Europe pistols and rifles  are produced for military use,

Parliament now wants more transparency  in the trade of weapons for civilian use.

and 74% of these  are in the hands of civilians.

European states will now have to declare  exports of arms for civilian use.

This will be a way  of curbing potential misuse.

It doesn't matter whether weapons  and associated equipment

were destined for use in leisure activities  or for military and police purposes.

We have evidence,  for instance in Egypt,

that items that were intended  for leisure use

have been used by security and police  against the population.

the UN is preparing a treaty  on the international arms trade

banning arms exports to countries  where human rights are at serious risk.

Remains to be seen if these good  principles end up being applied.

Europe has already a binding common  position on exporting military weapons.

We are now going to see if this  legislation really is applied or not.

To discuss the export of weapons  to third countries,

I have here with me today Ana Gomes  from the Socialists and Democrats Group

and Geoffrey Van Orden from the  Conservatives and Reformists Group.

Ana Gomes, let's start  with the news we have all seen,

There were some European weapons  used by the police.

In 2009 at least eight European countries  sold weapons to Libya,

for the respect of human rights,  one of the criteria of this legislation.

Do we have to think that the legislation  we have in place is useless?

not selling weapons to countries  with human rights violations.

There is no doubt,  whatever you may think

about the way Gaddafi  was recently reintegrated

that definitely this was a regime  violating human rights.

and in the piece you've shown  you see one of the problems,

who actually should exercise  the scrutiny and screening

But from your piece you can see  this was the government of Wallonia.

The owner of part of the producer.  -Exactly.

And so allowing  this decentralised model

of course allows  for all sorts of loopholes

in the implementation  of the existing code of conduct.

I discovered that the codes of conduct  were only implemented

for military exports that were granted  by the foreign ministry