Arms: code of conduct on exports, point 8. 3rd annual report

The committee adopted the own-initiative report by Gary TITLEY (PES, UK) on the Council's Third Annual Report on the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. The committee welcomed the progress made (in terms of transparency of information provided, the agreement on guidelines for controlling arms brokering and efforts to lay down common rules) and added that it was crucial to involve the candidate countries closely in consultations under the Code of Conduct. However, MEPs above all wanted the code of conduct to be legally binding and called for the EU Member States to adopt as a matter of urgency legislation similar to the recently adopted Belgian law on arms brokering (which establishes a register of licensed arms brokers, strict conditions for individuals to be included in the register and firm sanctions against those who violate the rules). They urged other exporting countries to take similar measures. �