Fact sheet: Export controls for armaments and dual-use goods - issues and responsibilities

Résumé du document

Arms trade is an important economic factor. This market accounts for an estimated total of 900 billion dollars each year, throughout the world. Armaments exports display a conflict between two kinds of interest: security interests and commercial interests. They tend to have a political dimension that does not reveal itself in the short run. For example, if the European Union decides to lift its arms embargo on China, this would mean immediate revenues for companies like the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company or the EADS. However, the effect might be that China would feel encouraged to repeat violent actions like that in response to which the embargo was introduced, which is the suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Also, European technology might be used against EU member states or one of their strategic partners in the event of military conflict.

Extraits

[...] See Bonn International Center for Conversion, Michael Brzoska, Hartmut Küchle, “Folgen, Auswirkungen und Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten internationaler Abkommen für eine restriktive deutsche Rüstungsexportpolitik“, page 10. [...]

[...] Regulation 1334/2000/EC sets up a community regime for the control of exports of dual-use items and technology. It defines dual-use items and technology and provides a list of goods to which this definition applies. This list is regularly updated and currently comprises about 200 pages. Inside the Single Market, dual-use items usually circulate like any other good, with the exception of particularly sensitive goods that the regulation also defines. This rule also applies to trade with seven “like-minded countries”, which benefit from the Community General Export Authorisation (Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States of America). [...]

[...] In 2006, amnesty international published a paper entitled risk for security in the world: armaments exports of the European Union”, which addresses the EU's responsibilities in particular. Export controls. Assuming responsibility in the domain of armament means that there must be more state regulation and restrictions here than in other areas of trade in order prevent the export of equipment which might be used for internal repression or international aggression, or contribute to regional instability[4].” International and European cooperation vs. [...]

[...] - Amnesty International, risque pour la sécurité dans le monde : les exportations d'armements dans l'Union européenne”, Paris 2005. - Michael Brzoska, Hartmut Küchle, “Folgen, Auswirkungen und Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten internationaler Abkommen für eine restriktive deutsche Rüstungsexportpolitik”, Bonn International Center for Conversion, Bonn 2002. - Website of the UK department of trade and investment, section “export controls and sanctions” (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/Show Page&c=Page&cid=1014919016078) - Website of the Council of the European Union, section proliferation, disarmament and arms controls” (http://ww.consilium.eu.int/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=392&lang=EN&mode=g) For lack of a sufficiently exhaustive and still tangible definition, I chose to combine the wording of a legal text (regulation 2004/1504/EC, Annex Definition of terms, “Adapted for use in and a general work on armament exports (Damien Romestant, “Commerce et sécurité - les exportations sensibles de la mondialisation”). [...]

[...] Fact sheet: Export controls for armaments and dual-use goods - issues and responsibilities Armament can be defined as any item or technology either designed to produce casualties in humans or animals, degrading equipment or damaging crops or the environment (they allow the use of force), or designed to increase the effectiveness of instruments or technologies designed to pursue this aim (they facilitate the use of weapons or technologies to which definition applies)[1] . Arms trade is an important economic factor. [...]