ZCZC
BCN-07
GERMAN-EXPORTS-WEAPONRY
Germany tightens up arms sales outside EU, NATO
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, June 27, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – German ministers agreed
Wednesday to further restrict weapons exports, banning sales of small arms to
countries outside the EU and NATO apart from in “exceptional” cases.
The update to rules originally laid out in 2000 is also an attempt to bury
a source of months-long tensions between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s
conservative CDU and their junior coalition partners the Social Democrats
(SPD).
“Export of small arms to third countries will in principle no longer be
permitted,” government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin.
The measure is largely symbolic, as the value of such shipments amounted to
just 400,000 euros ($454,000) in 2018.
“At the same time, in well-founded one-off cases there can be exceptions,
it’s not a total ban,” Seibert added.
In general, permits will not be granted to export arms “if there are
sufficient grounds to suspect that these would be abused for internal
repression or other persistent and systematic infringements of human rights,”
the regulation posted on the economy ministry website read.
But the government also highlighted “the significance of the security and
defence industry” in a country home to companies like Heckler and Koch (small
arms), Rheinmetall (tanks and military vehicles) and Thyssenkrupp (ships and
submarines).
Germany’s ruling coalition has repeatedly clashed over weapons exports,
notably to states involved in the conflict in Yemen.
Following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Berlin agreed in
October last year to halt deliveries to Riyadh, extending the ban for a
further six months in March.
Wednesday’s decision also included tougher rules on transferring defence
technology outside Germany.
The economy ministry said “political support for armaments cooperation at
the European level is emphasised” in the new rules.
France and Britain have in recent months pressured Germany over exports of
jointly-developed weapons systems, with tougher rules from Berlin potentially
endangering the deals.
BSS/AFP/HR/0850