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 European Parliament enshrines the EU paradigm shift towards hard security and military answers to complex problems, as well as the over-influence of the military-industrial complex on EU policy developments: the same companies that are advising the EU will then be the main beneficiaries of this funding.

Read the full Press release in Dutch, English, French, Italian

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Peace and Disarmament in Europe: For shared détente, peace and security

Europe is the second most militarized region in the world, with a military budget that surpasses China’s and is three times that of Russia. Additionally, the EU’s budget for security and defense has tripled over the past two decades, reaching 19.5 billion euros in the current framework program. The Delàs Center for Peace Studies, in collaboration with the European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT), analyzes Europe’s militarization and proposes alternatives to European security policies in the publication “Peace and Disarmament in Europe: For shared détente, peace and security”.

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