Activities of Özlem DEMIREL related to 2020/2003(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on Arms export: implementation of Common Position 2008/944/CFSP
Amendments (14)
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas a large proportion of arms supplies continue to go to countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region; whereas in 2018, arms to Saudi Arabia worth EUR 1.937 billion, to Egypt worth EUR 1.355 billion and to the United Arab Emirates worth EUR 292 million were exported; whereas these three states are part of the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemen conflict and these exports constitute a clear violation of the Common Position; whereas the current situation in Libya is similar since European arms exports are being authorised to states which are directly involved in the conflict and providing the conflict parties with arms;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas arms exports and transfers have an undeniable impact on human rights and human security, on socio-economic development and on democracy; whereas arms exports also contribute to circumstances that force people to flee from their countries; whereas these are strong reasons for establishing a transparent, effective, commonly implemented and strictly defined arms control system;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that ten Member States made full submissions to the 20th annual report, and eleven to the 21st; deplores the fact that two of the main exporting countries – Germany and the UK – did not make full submissions; whereas, according to the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC), Germany in 2018 issued 3.742 licences for the export of military equipment to 61 states which can be classified as problematic with regard to at least one of the eight criteria of the Common Position;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls for the eight criteria to be extended and applied also to the transfer of military, security and police personnel, to arms-exports-related services, know- how and training, security technology and to private military and security services; calls further for an upgrade of criterion 8 by making denial of export licences automatic if they are incompatible with development;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/1560 and the relevant conclusions of 16 September 2019 have the potential to ensure that EU citizens are furnished with better information about the strategic choices made by their governments, as full transparency and information are still not available to citizens, in an area which directly affects their security and their countries’ adherence to values and norms;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls for the timely and complete transmission and publication of data, for which a strict deadline is set, to end no later than March following the year in which the export took place;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Demands, that all Member States which have not provided complete information to provide additional information on their past exports for the next annual report;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Suggests, further, that the COARM annual report should be completed by a summary containing, inter alia, comparative trends with previous years and aggregated figures;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. NoteCondemns that most Member States have not outlined a policy regulating the transfer of weapons components to another Member State which would ensure that any export to third countries from the Member State of assembly is consistent with the export policy of the Member State providing the components; regards this as particularly problematic in the context of the increasing divergences between licensing practices across the EU; observes that Directive 2009/43/EC on intra- Community transfers has proven ill- equipped to achieve the stated goal of setting high common standards for exports to third countries;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Rejects EU - funds for European arms production for political, ethical and legal (Article 41.2 TEU) reasons; notes that its objective of increasing the “competitiveness” of the European defence industry has a negative impact on the intention to pursue a restrictive arms export policy; is further concerned that the planned large-scale projects like the “Future Combat Air System” and the “Main Ground Combat System” will only be possible through large exports; is concerned, that this could lead to a further erosion of the eight criteria and to a convergence of national export practices to the lowest common denominator;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the EEAS to ask Member States for a list of arms buyers, to monitor the use of military equipment sold by them and to provide information on where and against whom the weapons have been used; this information will be included in the annual report on arms exports;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls for an assessment of Member States ‘compliance with the eight criteria of the Common Position by an independent group of experts from member states/ Council, Commission and civil society on a parity basis; calls for the publication in the COARM report, by name and on a case-by-case basis, of the States which, according to the group of experts, have violated the Common Position; calls for the introduction of sanctions against those States which, according to the group of experts, have violated the Common Position;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Insists that the reduction of arms exports must be a pillar of European foreign policy in the interests of progressing towards a culture of peace and that progress in convergence between Member States must aim at the non-use of arms exports as a foreign policy tool while strengthening the protection of human rights as the defining axis of European external action;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls for the establishment of a Subcommittee on Arms Exports and Conversion to monitor compliance with the Common Position and address issues relating to the conversion of defence- related industries to the production of civilian goods;