Tomorrow the European Summit will welcome the launch of the Permanent Structured cooperation (PESCO) and review ‘progress’ in other areas of Defence, and the European Parliament will discuss the EC proposal to fund the development phase of new military capabilities with the EU budget, as part of the European Defence Fund. The European Network Against … Read More
European Union
ENAAT Position paper: MEPs must critically scrutinize EU funding to military Research & Development
A crucial debate has started in the EU and key decisions will be taken by the European Parliament and by the Member States in the coming weeks and months. Not only these decisions will shape the future of the EU but they will also influence how the world is addressing and responding to environmental, societal … Read More
“How the arms industry is hijacking Europe’s defence policy”: a new report from Vredesactie documents the symbiotic relationship between the arms industry and the EU institutions.
40 billion euros. That’s how much the European Union wants to spend on the research and development of new weapons during the next 10 years. The establishment of the European Defence Fund is an unprecedented acceleration in the militarization of the EU and only serves one purpose: sustaining the competitiveness of the arms industry. The … Read More
Tell the EU you disagree with EU funding to military R&D (before August 7)
On June 7, the European Commission proposed a text to create a “Defence Industrial Development Programme”, which would divert €500 million of the EU budget over 2019-2020, in order to fund the development of new military technology. This is on top of the €90 million already granted for military research over 2017-2019. Our national governments … Read More
civil society calls for EU research agenda to shift focus from private benefits to global public goods
ENAAT contributed to a “civil society perspective on the next EU research Framwork Programme (FP9)” calling for the next EU Research policy to shift its focus from jobs, growth and competitiveness, including subsidies for the arms industry, to delivering global public goods for its citizens. “The EU is a peace project. There can be no … Read More
+117’800 EU citizens say “EU, don’t invest in weapons!”
Ahead of the European Summit today, +117‘800 EU citizens have so far expressed their opposition to the use of EU public money for the research and development of new weaponry. EU Heads of State and Government are gathering today in Brussels, and discussions will include the EC proposals for a European Defence Fund. On June … Read More
Peace groups denounce new EC initiatives favouring the arms industry and triggering global arms race
“The military-industrial complex ‘en marche’ at EU level” Today the EC released new plans that favour the arms industry and blur the limits of its mandate regarding defence-related issues, paving the way for an over-influential European-level military-industrial complex. Peace campaigners and the European Network Against Arms Trade warn against this further EC attempt to trivialize … Read More
ENAAT and ethical finance groups call EU Finance Ministers to preserve civilian investments through the European Investment Bank
On Tuesday 23 March, 2017, the 28 Finance Ministers of the EU will meet first as Governors of the European Investment Bank and then as EU Council for Economic and Financial Affairs. While the Greek situation seem to focus all attention, 29 signatories from ENAAT and the ethical finance sector want to alert on the … Read More
Open Letter to European Council on Security and Defence Plans
March 9 and 10 2017 the European Council met to talk, amongst others about plans to directly finance arms industry research with money from EU funds, as proposed in the Implementation Plan for Security and Defence of the EU Global Strategy and the EU Defence Action Plan. ENAAT wrote an Open letter to the Council: … Read More
The EU should promote peace not subsidize the arms industry!
Peace groups take action to prevent EU public money for military research Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Lyon, Prague, Rome, Stockholm In an appeal to Members of the European Parliament and of EU member states’ parliaments, peace campaigners and the European Network Against Arms Trade are calling to say ‘no’ to the inclusion of arms … Read More