Strasbourg, 05/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The attacks of 11 September tragically highlighted the need for an effective control on the production and export of arms (from 40% to 60% of these small weapons are said to be manufactured illegally in the world). For that reason, Gary Titley, British Labour MEP, Parliamentary rapporteur, welcomed the considerable progress referred to in the second annual report on the EU code of conduct regarding arms exports (code of conduct adopted in 1998). This does not exclude criticisms, levelled at some Union countries (some demand licences for buying a rifle, but not for selling weapons) as well as at the United States, all too often influenced by the fire arms lobby, or at the UN, that has been unable to set up a global monitoring scheme on arms exports. Without control of the production and trade in weapons, no fight against terrorism is possible, Titley warns, pleading in favour of a binding code not only at European level but internationally too. For the EPP-ED, Belgium's Johan Van Hecke agreed with him, and placed emphasis on better control of the final destination, citing for example, among others, Bulgarian weapons that reach Burkina Faso and Togo passing through Sierra Leone. According to him, there should be penalties for transit countries. Dutch Socialist Jan Wiersma observed that, in fact, interests often differ and that, if this problem had to be discussed with candidate countries for accession, it had also to be discussed with Russia. Yes, to a European code, but no to a European defence industry, Ireland's Patricia McKenna shouted for the Greens, also denouncing the exports of instruments of torture bearing a European "signature", even, she stipulated, if it is a question of components… Speaking for the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, Spain's Pedro Marset Campos called for the fight against terrorism to be included among the objectives of the code of conduct, whereas, citing Gerry Adams (Leader of Sinn Fein), the Ulster Unionist, Ian Paisley, denounced those who committed acts of terrorism proclaiming themselves to be "freedom fighters".
There are no "good" terrorists, Commission Chris Patten affirmed, urging the members of the Union not to be "morally confused" when it came to defining acts of terrorism. During the debate that was held in Parliament in September, the Commission and Council had stressed the competence of each State in this field, but Patten recalled that the recommendations on the arms trade were part of the Community's competencies. For the first time, a certain number of principles have been set out by the international community, and the new follow-up conference to the code, scheduled for 2006 could, in the light of events, be brought forward. The follow-up, Chris Patten insisted, must be proactive and ambitious, and initiatives also need taking regarding certain instruments of civilian usage (for example in demonstrations or civil repression) and instruments of torture. The Commission will soon be submitting a proposal on the problem, Mr. Patten concluded, recalling, like several MEPs, the role played by small weapons in the breakdown of certain States.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution that takes account of the current situation as, by recalling the goals of the European armaments policy, it adds (amendment by André Brie, on behalf of the United Left/Nordic Left) the fight against terrorism. The EP calls on candidate countries to provide the assurance, in accession negotiations, that they will fully implement the code of conduct, and welcomes the decision already manifested by Malta and Turkey to subscribe to these principles. It does, however, regret the fact that the United States should not have adopted its own code of conduct (this ought to be a permanent topic on the agenda of the transatlantic dialogue), that the United Nations should not have succeeded in setting up a global control system on the export of arms (some Member States of the Security Council, notably China and Russia, continue to export arms without any restrictions) and that little progress should have been made regarding the control of weapons brokerage. Likewise, Parliament deplores the fact that no measure should have been taken to allow for a control of production under licence, abroad, of military equipment by companies of the European Union. Regarding transparency, the EP urges the Commission (Brie amendment) to make a proposal providing for uniform criteria for the drawing up of the reports of Member States on arms exports, following the example of the most transparent report of all of them. Finally, the EP recalls that further effort is needed to establish common Community control rules for the legal trade in small calibre weapons and small weapons and to introduce effective Community controls to combat and repress trafficking and contraband in these weapons.