At Commissioner-designate Syvie Goulard’s hearing on Wednesday, MEPs should question the over-influence of the arms industry and the impact of the new DG for “Defence Industry & Space” on peace. On 2 October, the European Parliament committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) will hear the French Commissioner-designate Sylvie Goulard, whose Internal Market portfolio will … Read More
Civil society letter to new Euro-parliamentarians: the EU peace project is under threat
Today, 62 civil society organisations active in a wide range of areas (peace, environment, human rights, science, development, health, humanitarian aid, transparency…) wrote to the Members of the newly elected European Parliament, urging them to save the EU peace project: “Since 2017, EU funds have been diverted for military-related spending, with a €590 million envelope … Read More
UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia unlawful, says Court of Appeal
British campaigners have welcomed a Court of Appeal decision to overturn a 2017 High Court judgment which allowed the UK government to continue licensing the export of arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen. The appeal hearing took place in April 2019. The judgment comes amidst global concern over the use of these weapons … Read More
The EU Defence Fund at a glance, and why it is not good for peace nor for Europe
Ahead of a crucial vote this week in Strasbourg, ENAAT publishes a fact-sheet presenting the EU Defence Fund and what it really means for peace and for the European Union. Access the fact-sheet in Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish For more detailed information, read our Online Information Tool
Open Letter to MEPs “EU Defence Fund provisional agreement sets dangerous precedent against democratic functioning of the EU”
Brussels, 10 April 2019 Ahead of a crucial vote next week, ENAAT members alert Euro-parliamentarians about the risks the European Defence Fund entails. “It is in your hands to close this Pandora’s box while there is still time. If not, it will pave the way for the EU to become merely a cash cow for … Read More
EU Defence Fund provisional agreement sets dangerous precedent against democratic functioning of the EU
Yesterday the Industry & Research Committee (ITRE) of the European parliament (EP) adopted the provisional agreement reached with the EU Council on a European Defence Fund for 2021-2027. As it currently stands, this compromise text sets a dangerous precedent against the democratic functioning of the EU and in particular against the oversight role of the … Read More
“News from the Brussels’ Bubble” latest issue: provisional agreement on European Defence Fund
The latest issue of the ENAAT newsletter NBB, “News from the Brussels’ Bubble” is now online and presents the main problematic points, from a peace perspective, of the provisional agreement on the European Defence Fund for 221-2027, reached on February 20 between the European Parliament and the Council Read the ENAAT NBB 2019-1_08.03.2019 Read the … Read More
EU Defence Agency annual meeting: 177 European scientists alarmed about EU military turn and autonomous weapons
“Today 29 November, the European Defence Agency hosts its annual conference: From Unmanned to Autonomous Systems: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities. The event is the annual get-together of the EU establishment and the representatives of the defence industry. We, a group of 177 European scientists, are alarmed about the military turn the EU is taking. Both the … Read More
44 non-profit organisations across Europe alert on 4 major risks the European Defence Fund entails
Our EU leaders are currently discussing the next EU budgetary cycle that will run from 2021 to 2027. Among the proposals, one has so far caught little attention from the public and has been barely analysed in the EU media, let alone at national level. Yet the recently set-up European Defence Fund would deserve a … Read More
EP allows EU militarisation and the development of controversial weapons
Today the European Parliament adopted the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) proposed by the European Commission in June 2017, as a precursor of the future European Defence Fund. The European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT) is highly concerned by the adoption of such programme to subsidize the arms industry. By accepting the EDIDP, the … Read More