BETA

22 Amendments of Geoffrey VAN ORDEN related to 2018/2157(INI)

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. 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 establishingrequire a strict, transparent, effective and ~~common~~internationally accepted and defined arms control system;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas Common Position 2008/944/CFSP is a legally binding framework laying down eight criteria; whereas, wherever these are not met, the issuance of an export licence should be denied (criteria 1-4) or consideration should at least be given to doing so (criteria 5-8);deleted

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the nineteenth annual report reveals that 40.5 % of the licences for arms exports were granted to countries in the MENA region for a value of EUR 77.5 billion, with Saudi-Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) accounting for the bulk of these exports, worth EUR 57.9 billion; whereas the quota of denied licences for the three countries was 2.2 % even though, according to the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC) the supply of military technology to one or more of those countries is a violation of, at least, criteria 1-616 of the Common Position (Egypt and Saudi-Arabia criteria 1-6 and UAE criteria 1 and 6), which highlights the need for better scrutiny and transparency; _________________ 16http://ruestungsexport.info/map/

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas the defence sector has become a focal point of EU policy since the European Global Strategy (EUGS) argues that a ‘sustainable, innovative and competitive European defence industry is essential for Europe’s strategic autonomy and for a credible CSDP’17 ; whereas the main task of the European Defence Fund and, as a precursor, the EDIDP, which has recently been launched, is to ‘support the competitiveness of Europe’s defence industry’18 ; _________________ 17A Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and. Security Policy: ‘Shared Vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe’, Brussels, June 2016. 18Launching the European Defence Fund, COM(2017)0295, Brussels, 7.6.2017.deleted

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

~~K. whereas Article 10 of the Common Position clearly states that compliance with the eight criteria takes precedence over any economic social, commercial or industrial interests of Member States;~~deleted

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Acknowledges that the EU is the only union of states to have a legally binding framework through which arms export control is being improved, including in crisis regions and countries with a questionable human rights record; ~~welcomes, in this connection, the fact that European and non-European third countries have joined the arms export control system on the basis of the Common Position;~~

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes ~~with concern~~ that the eight criteria are applied and interpreted ~~with vary~~ing d~~egrees of rigour in the Member States; calls, therefore, for a standard, uniformly strict interpretation and full implementation of the Common Position with all its obligations~~ifferent ways by Member States, which are ultimately responsible for its interpretation and enforcement;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Criticises the violations of the eight criteria by Member States and the fact that military technology does sometimes reach destinations and end users that do not meet the criteria laid down in the Common Position; considers that uniform and consistent application of the eight criteria should be promoted; regrets the lack of provisions on sanctions to be imposed on Member States that fail to comply with the eight criteria when granting licences and advises the Member States to make provision for arrangements to conduct independent checks;deleted

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is alarmed by the fact that 97.2 % of licence requests for exports to Egypt and Saudi Arabia were granted even though exports into both countries violate at least criteria 1 to 6 of the Common Position, and bearing in mind that failure to meet criteria 1 to 4 must lead to a denial of the licence; regrets that almost all licence applications (95 %) for exports to Saudi Arabia have been granted as regards category ML919 (i.e. vessels of war) exports, which are used to enforce the naval blockade on Yemen, contributing to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and to the ongoing suffering of the population of Yemen; _________________ 19Vessels of war (surface or underwater), special naval equipment, accessories, components and other surface vessels http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:5201 6XG0406(01)&from=ENdeleted

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Is concerned that the proliferation of weapon systems in wartime and in situations of significant political tension may disproportionately affect civilians; is alarmed at the global arms race and at military approaches to solving political conflict and turmoil; underlines that conflicts should be solved by diplomatic means as a priority;deleted

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Insists, in the light of the Common Position review process, that support should be voiced for powerful, clear and unambiguous wording in the Common Position in order to avoid differing interpretations and applications of the criteria; urges that the Common Position’s review examine how the Common Position is implemented at national level, including an assessment of the different ways in which the Common Position is implemented in states’ laws and regulations, the methods used to assess licence applications and the government agencies and ministries that are involved; stresses, in this connection, that projects funded with the newly launched EDIDP and the future Defence Fund, must come under national and EU control and reporting mechanisms/regimes and be subject to full parliamentary scrutiny;deleted

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses that the ambition to increase the competitiveness of the European defence sector must ~~not undermine the application of~~also acknowledge the Common Position’s eight criteria ~~as they take precedence over any economic social, commercial or industrial interests of Member States~~;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates the detrimental effect that the uncontrolled export of cyber- surveillance technologies by EU companies can have on the security of the EU’s digital infrastructure and on human rights; stresses, in this connection, the importance of a rapid, effective and comprehensive update of the EU’s Dual- Use Regulation, recalls Parliament’s position regarding the Commission’s proposal as endorsed by an overwhelming majority in January 2018, and calls on the Council to rapidly establish an ambitious position with a view to enabling the co-legislators to reach an agreement before the end of this legislative term; cCalls on the Member States, with regard to export controls and application of the eight criteria, to pay greater attention to goods which may be used for both civilian and military purposes, such as surveillance technology and, similarly, to spare parts and products that may be used in cyber warfare or to perpetrate non-lethal human rights abuses;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Encourages the Member States to undertake a more detailed examination of licensed production by third countries and to ensure stronger safeguards against undesired uses~~; demands the strict application of the Common Position with regard to licensed production in third countries~~ and industrial espionage;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Criticises the fact~~Notes that a number of Member States did not make full submissions to the nineteenth annual report on the basis of detailed, country-specific data; notes that Cyprus submitted a ‘nil’ report; criticises the fact that Greece did not submit a report at all, Italy and France only reported total data on the value of actual exports and Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom did not report values of actual exports; is concerned that, as a result, important information is missing from the COARM annual report, which is therefore not up to date or able to present a complete picture of Member States’ export activities; considers that a standardised verification and reporting system should be established to provide more detailed and exhaustive information; reiterates its request that all Member States, especially the main arms- exporting ones which have not made full submissions, provide a full set of data regarding their past exports with a view to the next annual reportrecognises, however, that Member States may not always be able to give full submissions due to the commercial sensitivity and security risks surrounding such information;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Notes that according to the nineteenth annual report, the criteria invoked for denials differed in their application, with criterion 1 being invoked 82 times, criterion 2 119 times, criterion 3 103 times, criterion 4 85 times, criterion 5 8 times, criterion 6 12 times, criterion 7 139 times, and criterion 8 once; ~~notes with concern that the number of denied licences fell in total and also in relative terms (only 0.76% of licence applications were denied in 2016 compared to almost 1% in 2015);~~

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

~~17. Suggests that additional information be col~~delected from Member States and published both at national level and in the COARM annual report; suggests that an overview setting out a trend comparison with previous years, together with aggregated figures, be added to the COARM annual report;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Notes that not all EUMember State national parliaments scrutinise governmental licensing decisions by, inter alia, producing annual arms export reports; calls, therefore, for a general increase in parliamentary ~~and public oversight; points to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, which provide for the possibility of regular responses to the EU Annual Reports on Arms Exports~~oversight, within the limits of commercial sensitivity and national security;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Underscores the ~~important role of civil society,~~role of national parliaments and the European Parliament in both implementing and enforcing the Common Position’s agreed standards at national and EU level and in establishing a transparent, accountable control system; calls, therefore, for a transparent and robust control mechanism which bolsters the role of parliaments and of civil society;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Takes the view that the EU should meet its increased responsibility for peace and security in Europe and in the world by means of further arms limitation and disarmament initiatives and that, as a responsible global player, it should lead the way, i.e. that it should play an activecould play a role in the areas of non- proliferation of arms, global disarmament and arms transfer controls;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Recognises that all the Member States are signatories to the ATT; calls for universalisation of the ATT and for more focus to be placed on those countries that are not signatories or those who are signatories but have not yet ratified the Treaty; also commends the outreach efforts regarding the ATT and supports its effective implementation;

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET

Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of NATO, and the Secretary- General of the United Nations.

2018/09/12
Committee: AFET