Germany and France to EU: Stay out of arms export policy
www.euractiv.com
Germany joined France in telling the European Commission that weapons sales decisions belong squarely in the hands of capitals

The defence ministers from Germany and France both declared that the European Union has absolutely no role to play in weapons export decisions, issuing a clear rebuke to European Commission ambitions to ease trade within the EU weapons market.

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    8·
    2 months ago

    The remarks demonstrate strong and united opposition from the EU’s two most important members to the Commission’s push to loosen export controls within the EU in order to fast-track arms production. The EU executive has proposed allowing countries to skip obtaining approval before reselling key sensitive components used in weapons manufacturing.

    https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/eu-envoys-reach-deal-150-billion-euro-arms-fund-2025-05-21/

    EU envoys reach deal on 150 billion euro arms fund

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    Defense policy, including arms export policy, may not be an EU competency (or in US parlance, defense in the EU is a state power rather than a confederal power). So, as of 2025, Brussels may not be able to say something like “EU members need to be willing to permit transfers of weapons to other EU members” or anything like that.

    But if the EU is going to be funding substantial defense purchases moving forward, it’s not just acting as a defense producer, but as a defense customer. And in that role as a large customer who can potentially place conditions on its purchases, it may well have influence over arms producers.