VP/HR — Planned and ongoing arms transfers by Member States to Egypt after July 2013 and compliance with the eight criteria of Common Position 2008/944/CFSP and paragraph 8 of Foreign Affairs Council decision of 21 August 2013

29.6.2015

Question for written answer E-010476-15
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Judith Sargentini (Verts/ALE) , Bodil Valero (Verts/ALE) , Klaus Buchner (Verts/ALE) , Ernest Urtasun (Verts/ALE)

According to recent reports, several Member States plan on issuing arms exports licences to Egypt, have recently concluded bilateral agreements in order to strengthen security and defence cooperation with Egyptian authorities or are executing licenses authorised in the past. After the overthrow of President Morsi in July 2013 the EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusion stated: ‘Member States also agreed to suspend export licences to Egypt of any equipment which might be used for internal repression and to reassess export licences of equipment covered by Common Position 2008/944/CFSP and review their security assistance with Egypt’.

1. Do small arms and light weapons transfers from Member States after July 2013 comply with criteria 2, 3 and 8 of CP 944/2008 and paragraph 8 of FAC conclusions of 21 August 2013?

2. Are transfers of fighter jets, vessels of war and other major weapons systems from Member States considered to be in compliance with criteria 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 and paragraph 8 of FAC conclusions of 21 August 2013?

3. What is the VP/HR assessment of alleged Egyptian air raids in Libya, air raids on the Sinai and the military actions carried out by the Saudi-led coalition with Egyptian contributions in Yemen in light of basic humanitarian law?