UK Government Arms Export Criteria
The government judges applications for arms exports on the basis of what's called the 'Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licencing Critera' which were adopted in their current form in 2000.
- Respect for the UK's international commitments, in particular sanctions decreed by the UN Security Council and those decreed by the European Community, agreements on non-proliferation and other subjects, as well as other international obligations.
- The respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination.
- The internal situation in the country of final destination, as a function of the existence of tensions or armed conflicts.
- Preservation of regional peace, security and stability.
- The national security of the UK, of territories whose external relations are the UK's responsibilities, and of allies, EU member states and other friendly countries.
- The behaviour of the buyer country with regard to the international community; in particular its attitude to terrorism, the nature of its alliances and respect for international law.
- The existence of a risk that the equipment will be diverted within the buyer country or re-exported under undesirable conditions.
- The compatability of the arms exports with the technical and economic capacity of the recipient country, taking into account the desirability that states should achieve their legitimate needs of security and defence with the least diversion for armaments of human and economic resources.
List of criteria taken from www.deso.mod.uk.
In addition, Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells confirmed to a House of Commons Committee this year that it was government policy not to export equipment or components which could be "deployed aggressively" in the Occupied Territories, continuing that "almost any piece of equipment, I suppose, could be used aggressively".
Yet this approach clearly isn't working, given that parts for Israeli Apache helicopters, F-16 jets, and Merkava tanks are made by UK companies, and that these military vehicles are used extensively and to devastating effect in the Occupied Territories.
Stop Arming Israel believes that the only systematic and effective approach is a complete embargo on all arms to Israel.
