Raül Romeva i Rueda

Davant les continuades i flagrants vulneracions del Codi de Conducta de la UE sobre exportacions d’armes per part de nombrosos països europeus (veure, entre d’altres, aquesta denuncia sobre vendes d’armes a Birmània/Myanmar), he optat per presentar una pregunta oral al Consell per la qual cosa he comptat amb el suport de diversos diputats i diputades d’altres grups. La pregunta posa especial ènfasi en el fet que, malgrat les promeses de les successives presidències del Consell, el Codi de Conducta segueix essent un text no jurídicament vinculant enlloc d’una Posició Comuna tal i com el Parlament Europeu porta ja temps reivindicant. La pregunta, que serà debatuda properament en sessió plenària, enumera nombrosos exemples de vulneracions que reclamen una resposta en forma d’explicacions i d’accions concretes per part tant del Consell com dels Estats membres. (segueix…)  

Oral Question to the Council by Romeva et al. on EU Code of Conduct on Arms Transfers – failure of the Council to adopt the Common Position and make it legally binding

More then 2 years ago the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Transfers should have become a legally binding instrument for all EU Member states. On  June 30th, 2005 the COARM (Council Working Group on Arms) agreed at technical level on the text of a Common Position as the result of a deep going process to revise the Code with the objective to transform it in an efficient instrument to control arms exports from EU territory and by EU companies. Parliament has strongly welcomed this Common Position.

However, since then the COUNCIL has failed to take the final decision on this issue for reason which have never been explained officially but which are clearly linked to the wish of some EU member states to abolish the current EU arms embargo on the People’s Republic of China. Several times the European Parliament has requested the Council to adopt the Common Position and every time the Presidency in Office promised to take the appropriate steps to do so but without any result. In between the Parliament and the public are almost every week confronted with news about arms export deals between European companies with countries to which such arms exports should be denied under the criteria of the Code such as Bolivia, Chad, Myanmar, Pakistan, Lybia and many others. This is the more regrettable now that in the framework of the European Security Strategy (ESS) and the evolving European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) more and more EU external missions of military, non-military and humanitarian character are being deployed and EU personnel might easily end up in a position to be threatened with arms previously supplied by EU memberstates.

Which commitment can the Council take to solve this dilemma by utmost priority and make sure that the Common Position will be adopted without further delay?

Foto: Desfilada militar a Birmània/Myanmar. Font: BBC