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European Network Against Arms Trade
Europe the arms exporter
The countries of Europe are significant arms exporters. Armies fight with
European weapons in arenas of war all over the world. The bestsellers include:
British fighter jets, Dutch military electronics, German submarines, Frenchmis
siles, Czech tanks, Spanish munitions. Those are just a few examples.
Other countries with less significant arms production still have a share in the
weapons trade however: Denmark and Portugal ship European weapons everywhere in
the world, the Swiss banks finance huge arms deals. European weapons are used
against the Kurds in Kurdistan, by the Indonesian army against the population
of East Timor, and in civil wars such as in Yugoslavia.
European arms firms supplied weapons to the warring countries Iran and Iraq in
the first Gulf war, and made sure that Iraq later became a military superpower
in the Middle East. Supplying Iraq for example, in no way prevents European
companies from having close military contacts with Israel. European arms
companies receive orders from all corners of the earth.
European countries, however, do not only earn money from arms exports. For years
Third World countries have built up their own arms industries supported by
western technology and the export of whole arms factories.
The war between the allied armies and Iraq in 1991 would not have been possible
without the supply of missile factories, poison gas production plants and war
technology from Europe.
The deliberate genocide of the Kurds would not be conceivable without European
arms exports to Turkey. Europe, arms export and war are inextricably
linked.
European arms producers are also practicising a very close cooperation within
the framework of the interoperability of the arms systems with regard to the
new European military role.
Today the common development, production and the export of the European arms
industry is a reality. The arms industry -as well as the arms lobby- is
organised Europe-wide.
That is why European initiatives, groups and individuals founded the "European
Network against Arms Trade" in 1984.
The law
There are different laws governing the export of armaments and weapons in each
individual European country. If national laws were adhered to, arms exports
could be restricted. In practice however, things are different.
Although the governments of many European countries have enough scope within the
framework of their respective legislation to withhold licences for arms exports
applied for by companies, in practice the licences are almost always granted
because the decision-making process is purely an administrative one with very
little political control.
When trade barriers within the Common Market are abolished, there is a danger
that the political will and the practice, of European governments will not
change.
The European Network against Arms Trade
Groups working against arms production and export have been meeting regularly
since 1984. They are structured and organized differently and vary in their way
of going about things, but have this in common: the goal of stopping arms
production in Europe and of stopping arms export in general.
This "European Network against Arms Trade" has set itself the tasks of
monitoring European military cooperation and of exchanging information, which
is then put to use in education, political action and public relations work.
The Network worked together against Eurosatory 92, a European military trade
fair in Paris, organized a petition-signing and protests.
The Network is open to new groups working on a national level, and especially
welcomes the cooperation of the countries of Eastern Europe.
Those who would like to offer financial support to the work of the Network are
urged to do so. The groups from Eastern Europe especially, have only meagre
financial means to cover general costs or travelling costs. If you want to
support the Network, please contact one of the member groups.
The Network meets twice yearly. Information about the arms industry, about
co-production and arms planning on a national or European level are available
from the Network. Contact your national groups.
The activities of the European groups working against arms exports are many and
varied.
Further information is available from the member groups.
Contact groups
Belgium:
- International Peace Information Service (IPIS)
-
Italielei 98a, B 2000 Antwerpen,
- Tel 32-3-225 00 22, Fax 32-3-225 07 99
- Email Gn.Armstrade
-
- Forum voor Vredesaktie, vzw
-
Van Elewijckstraat 35, 1050 Brussel
- Tel 32-2-64 87583, Fax 32-3-6400774
CFSR:
- Slovak Union for Peace and Human Rights
-
PSC, 811 05 Bratislava, Stefnikova 8
- Tel 497461
Denmark:
- Aldrig mere Krig,
-
c/o T. Paamand, Ølstedvej 4, Lisbjerg, DK 8200 Arhus N
- Tel 45 86 230328
Germany:
- Kampagne gegen Rüstungsexport "Produzieren für das Leben,
Rüstungsexporte stoppen"
- Bahnhofstr. 18, D 65510 Idstein,
- Tel 49-6126-556 83, Fax 49-6126-546 60
-
- BUKO-Kampagne "Stoppt den Rüstungsexport"
-
Buchtstr. 14/15, D 28195 Bremen 1
- Tel 49-421-32 60 45, Fax 49-421-33 78177
France:
- Campagne d'Opposition aux Ventes d'Armes (COVA)
-
18, rue Victor Mass , F 75009 Paris
- Tel 33-1-42562449, Fax 33-1 425681
-
- Centre de Documentation et de Recherche sur la Paix et les Conflits
-
BP 1027, F 69201 Lyon Cedex 01
- Tel 33-7-78369303, Fax 33-7-78363683
Netherlands:
- Anti-Militaristies Onderzoekskollektief (AMOK)
-
Esdoornstraat 14, NL 3551 AJ Utrecht
- Tel 31-30-44 21 22, Fax 31-30-44 17 83
-
- Pax Christi Nederland
-
Postbus 19318, NL 3501 DH Utrecht
- Tel 31-30-33-33-46, Fax 36-81-99
Spain/Catalonia:
- Campanya Contra el Comerc d`Armes (C3A)
-
C./Rivadeneyra 6, E 08 002 Barcelona
- Tel 34-3-317 61 77, Fax 34-3-412 53 84
Switzerland:
- Schweizerischer Friedensrat
-
Postfach 6368, CH 8023 Zrich
- Tel 41-1-2428528, Fax 41-1-2412926
-
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Rüstungskontrolle und ein
Waffen-ausfuhrverbot
-
Postfach 120, CH 3000 Bern 6
- Tel 41-31-22 71 22, Fax 41 31 22 77 94
Sweden:
- The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS)
-
Box 17515, S 11891 Stockholm
- Tel 46-8-68 02 00
United Kingdom:
- Campaign Against Arms Trade
-
11 Goodwin Street, Finsbury Park, London N4 3HQ
- Tel 44-71-281 0297, Fax 44-71-281 0297
International Organisations:
- International Peace Bureau
-
Rue de Zurich 41, CH 1201 Geneva
- Tel 41-22-731 64 29, Fax 41-22-7 38 94 19
-
- NATO Alert Network
-
rue Stevin 115, B 1040 Brussels
- Tel 32-2-230 07 32, Fax 32-2-230 03 48
-
- Quakers Council for European Affairs
-
50, Square Ambiorix, B 1040 Brussels
- Tel 32-2-23-04-935, Fax 32-2-23-01-370
-
- Quakers United Nations Office
-
13 Av. du Mervelet, CH 1209 Geneve