Online event: ‘From war lobby to war economy How the arms industry shapes European policies’ – 07/12 at 5pm

On Tuesday 14 November, EU Defence ministers called for enhancing the arms industry access to public and private finance and avoiding ‘discrimination’ based on the ESG criteria.
In the EU’s initial long-term budget for 2014-2020, not a single euro was to go directly to the arms industry. By the end of 2020, half a billion euros had been diverted to military R&D, followed in 2021 by a European Defence Fund worth €8 billion over seven years, new funding to increase production this year, and today it is sustainable finance that is being called on to support the arms industry.
What role has the arms industry played in these rapid developments?

ENAAT invites you to find out at the launch of its new report:

‘From war lobby to war economy
How the arms industry shapes European policies’

When: Thursday 7 December 2023, 5-6pm CET

Speakers:
– Mark Akkerman, researcher at Stop Wapenhandel
– Chloé Meulewaeter, Ph.D. in Social Sciences, researcher at the Centre Delàs d’estudi per la Pau
– Bram Vranken, Researcher & Campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory

Moderation: Laëtitia Sédou, ENAAT project manager

 

*Watch our launch event here if you missed it!*

more news

OSDE 2026

2 June 2026

Major Beneficiaries of EDF and ASAP.     Companies European Defence Fund (EDF) After the first three years of the EDF, about a thousand different entities (companies, research institutes, universities, government agencies and a few CSOs) have received funding. It is clear that a large portion of the money goes to a small set of large arms companies. This is exacerbated by the fact that many of these companies own (parts) of other beneficiaries, in the form of takeovers, joint ventures, subsidiaries or major shareholder ownership. With this in mind, almost a quarter of the funding ends up

Read more >

09/06 at 6pm: “Breaking the consensus on EU funding for rearmamament” online conference

21 May 2026

ENAAT, GDAMS & StopReArmEurope invite you to an Interactive Online Conference***A militarised garden: Breaking the consensus on EU funding for rearmament * June 9 2026 at 18:00 CEST The session will begin from a practical observation: Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who challenge the current policy direction -particularly the rapid growth in certain spending priorities- represent a small minority, which limits their influence. Against this backdrop, the discussion will move beyond simple opposition and instead focus on more constructive and strategic exchange, structures around two main pillars:1) Understanding the MEPs’ perspective:Why do many MEPs feel that there

Read more >

Civil society calls on policymakers to prevent the weakening of arms exports control

8 May 2026

Today, +25 civil society organisations urge decision makers to prevent arms export control systems from being weakened under the pretext of ‘simplification’ and ‘efficiency’. The negotiations on the EU omnibus package relating to defence are well advanced and about to conclude, including on the proposals modifying the Transfer directive regulating intra-EU arms exports. Weapons and military technology cannot be sold like toys or cans of beans, and EU governments are the ones responsible for ensuring compliance with European and international law, in particular the EU Common position on arms exports, the Arms Trade Treaty and the Convention on

Read more >