Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Ashton on behalf of the Commission
8.6.2012
The EU publishes annual reports on arms exports that are published in the EU official journal. The latest 13th report published covers exports from member states in 2010. Data relating to EU member states’ arms exports in 2011 are not yet available. They will be collected over the next months and published in the 14th annual report by the end of 2012.
Under the Common Position (2008/944/CFSP) on the control of export of military equipment, decisions on whether to authorise or deny arms exports remain a exclusively national responsibility of member states. Arms export licences reviewed by EU member states have to be assessed against eight criteria laid down in the Common Position and member states have to take into account denials possibly issued by other member states for similar transactions.
Issues raised by implementation of the Common Position are discussed in regular meetings of the Council Working Group on Conventional Arms Exports (COARM). The member states exchange views and information on specific destinations in COARM with a view to achieving greater consistency of their arms export policy towards the destinations in question. The Middle East and North African destinations have been regularly discussed in COARM since the outbreak of the ‘Arab Spring’.
OJ C 124 E, 30/04/2013