The European Union (EU), one of the largest arms traders, claims to be a global leader in the promotion of human rights and peace in the world. This contradiction of claiming to be a peace-loving people while having an arms export policy that serves to fuel human rights violations across conflict zones, where European-made arms are used against civilians, calls for criticism of EU arms export policies.
A prominent document explores the dissonance between arms export policies and human rights impact globally. It focuses on ongoing wars in Yemen and the Middle East, where EU arms were directed towards causing humanitarian crises.
The Core of the EU’s arms export control legal framework is the Common Position 2008/944/CFSP, which lays down the basis to establish a common code of conduct for the export of military technology and equipment. There is a reasonable assumption that arms will be used in grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, this framework compels member states to consider the impact of arms transfers on these standards. The real world is however, a totally different matter altogether, as the sales to human-rights-abusing countries and ongoing conflict states demonstrate contempt for these regulations.
European Union member states continue to provide arms to regimes involved in combat operations, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who are contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. EU exports to these countries continue to this day, in the middle of the brutal conflict in Yemen, which was initiated by indiscriminate bombing campaigns of coalition forces that resulted in the killing of civilians (as has been accused by UN bodies), and has raised questions about how serious the EU is about its own commitments to international law. The reported billion-dollar arms sales to the coalition present a gap between policy and practice.
We have seen arms from EU countries linked directly to human rights violations in conflict areas. The Saudi-led coalition conducting airstrikes in Yemen has devastated infrastructure, from hospitals to schools, killed civilian populations — including thousands of children — and made the dire humanitarian crisis in the nation even worse, with millions of people needing aid. European policymakers have put on a show of accountability through responsible arms trading and arms embargoes but imposed hardly any real restrictions, despite evidence that EU arms have facilitated these violations.
Furthermore, war crime complicity charges have surfaced due to the disparity and lack of clarity in the arms export policy of the EU. For example, arms shipments to countries with a record of human rights violations are not halted, which brings the moral position of the EU under scrutiny. Such deeds not only challenge the legitimacy of European foreign policy but also the proclaimed principles of the Union regarding democratic order and the promotion of human rights.