Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 1

Written Answers. - Arms Trade.

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

33 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to encourage full compliance with the EU code of conduct on arms exports in view of the death and destruction being caused, especially in developing countries by the level of arms exports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13067/00]

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

46 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to encourage full compliance with the EU code of conduct on arms exports in view of the death and destruction being caused, especially in developing countries, by the level of arms exports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13060/00]

Michael Finucane

Question:

62 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the workings of the EU Council of Ministers Working Group of ARMS (COARM). [12859/00]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 46 and 62 together.

Working to promote and support international efforts to ensure that appropriate safeguards and restraints apply to the sale and transfer of arms, and that the destabilising accumulation of arms is brought to an end is a key priority of Irish foreign policy. To that end we are not only actively engaged in the EU context, but also at the United Nations or wherever like-minded countries which share this goal are at work.

COARM is the acronym used to describe is the European Union's working group on conven tional arms exports. Its primary function is the co-ordination of controls on the export of conventional arms and related items from the EU to third countries. It meets on a regular basis and, as required, supplementary meetings of experts are held on specific technical issues.

During the Irish Presidency in 1996, some initial elements of interpretation of particular criteria and some practical measures for application of the criteria for use by arms export licensing authorities were agreed. This work was then built on to develop a code of conduct on arms exports which was agreed in 1998. While the code did not go as far as we would have wished, and that was made clear at the time, it can be seen as a concrete starting point to establish basic standards which can be broadened and deepened.

Since then the Union has been promoting the code as a common standard to be also adopted by third countries outside the Union who are engaged in arms exports. At the same time work is ongoing within the Union to ensure a fuller and better implementation of the code through the compilation of a common list of military equipment to be subjected to export controls. The work on the compilation of this common list is expected to be finalised shortly.

In order to achieve fuller and more effective control of arms exports and material from EU member states, Ireland more recently took the initiative of having measures considered which we hope will lead to the adoption of regulations to control arms brokerage. The necessary detailed work on this will commence shortly. It is also to be expected, once the Union has adopted such regulations on arms brokerage, that these will be implemented by the associated and like-minded countries. For our part we will be encouraging them to implement such regulations.

As has been our practice to date, Ireland will continue to work to achieve in full the objectives of the EU code of conduct on arms exports and to have in place at an early date the regulations on arms brokerage to which I have just referred.