During the EP plenary session (11-14 September 2017) in Strasbourg, MEPs&nbsp;debate on arms export. Statements by Bodil VALERO (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteur, Matti MAASIKAS, Estonian Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, Geoffrey VAN ORDEN (ECR, UK), Javier NART (ALDE, ES), Sabine LOSING, (GUE, DE) and Ulrike LUNACEK (Greens/EFA, AT).

Arms export: extracts from the debate  

SOUNDBITE (null), Bodil VALERO (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteur , Control of weapon export is a foreign policy issue but it also becoming a domestic policy issues because of all the terrorist attacks around Europe, attacks perpetrated by Daesh members who have had access to European weapons and we know that.

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Bodil VALERO (Greens/EFA, SE), What we have notices is that the risk assessments of our Member states is not been satisfactory, in fact, if the criteria have been applied properly then weapons would not have been exported to Saudi Arabia, just to give one example, because the countries are free to interpret the regulation in their own way, we can&rsquo;t actually stop them from violating this regulation.

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Bodil VALERO (Greens/EFA, SE), The EP has suggested an embargo visa-&agrave;-vis Saudi Arbia, today we would actually step that up, we would say that an embargo should be applied in different situations, embargos after all are the only system that we have in order to stop exports to those countries that are not abiding to the rules and regulations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Matti MAASIKAS, Estonian Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, Some of the largest arms export and importers, such as Russia, China, India and Pakistan have not signed or ratified (ATT). All diplomatic opportunities are used to encourage countries that have taken no steps towards the Treaty to join it by benefiting from the EU, by providing the EU assistance programme where needed and requested. The arms trade is becoming more and more globalised, it is our duty to lead by example.

SOUNDBITE (English), Geoffrey VAN ORDEN (ECR, UK), We don&rsquo;t to impose more regulation on our own National industries, merely to advance for calls of EU political integration. I should mention that my own country, the United Kingdom already has a robust and comprehensive arms export control system, irrespective by the way of EU activity. I hope very much hope that EP will reject any suggestion of sanctions against a Member state if not complying with the common position and similarly we don&rsquo;t see the necessity in these times of budgetary pressure for establishment of the EU funds to be used for capacity building among licensing an enforcement officials in the Member States.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Javier NART (ALDE, ES), If there are sanctions on questions milk production for example it is obscene when there is sanctions elsewhere when people sell arms outside the 8 criteria. Leading countries in exports are violating these criteria, either we actually comply with what we approve or we should be honest, let&rsquo;s get rid of the 8 criteria and in that case we will say: OK, we are very cynical but we are honest, that we sell to everyone who wants to buy from us, the important thing is Trade rather than ethics.

SOUNDBITE (German): Sabine L&Ouml;SING, (GUE, DE) I think that we need some kind of complete reporting obligation for our Member states that is a thing that we need urgently. We also need to make sure that the 8 criteria are complied with and that there is monitoring by an independent authority. We also need sanction mechanisms, visa-&agrave;-vis countries that are notorious for their breach of the criteria, without those measures I&rsquo;m afraid weapon exports from EU will continue and lead to the same problems and they will contribute to crisis and conflicts around world.

SOUNDBITE (German), Ulrike LUNACEK (Greens/EFA, AT), Saudi Arabia is pursuing a war in Yemen, that is already said and that is not acceptable. My own country Austria send 30,000 small calibre weapons to Saudi Arabia last year, this blood shedding has to stop and I certainly support the demands and call on Ms Mogherini to bring about a genuine weapon embargo against Saudi Arabia.

Arms export: extracts from the debate

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