The European Union has reaffirmed its support for the Arms Trade Treaty, saying the agreement remains central to efforts to regulate international trade in conventional weapons and prevent illegal transfers.
Speaking at the treaty’s 12th Conference of States Parties in Geneva, an EU representative said 118 countries are now parties to the legally binding pact, which sets international standards for authorising arms exports and seeks to curb diversion — when weapons are redirected to unauthorised users — according to the EU’s statement published on Monday by the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The EU said its member states issued more than 31,000 arms export licences in 2024 with a combined value of nearly €316 billion, adding that actual exports by EU member states “continually” account for about a quarter of global arms trade.
It stated that EU member states assess export licences using legally binding EU-wide risk criteria and “transparent methodologies”, with the treaty forming part of both the EU Common Position on arms exports and national legal frameworks.
Five-year strategy due for adoption in 2027
The EU said countries party to the treaty have an opportunity to create new momentum on longstanding challenges around implementation and adherence, and that it expects this week’s conference to endorse guidance and reflection points linked to a five-year strategy due to be negotiated and adopted in 2027.
Ongoing wars and conflicts around the world were cited as evidence of the need for controls on arms transfers and efforts to prevent diversion and misuse, the EU said.
The statement named Russia’s war against Ukraine, conflicts and tensions in the Middle East, and fighting in Sudan, saying these are “fuelled and sustained” by illegal transfers of arms, components and ammunition, including to non-state actors.
Post-conflict situations can also increase the risk of diversion, particularly involving small arms and light weapons — firearms such as pistols and rifles as well as portable weapons like machine guns — it added.
The EU delivered the statement on behalf of its member states, with North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Georgia aligning with it, alongside Iceland and Norway, according to the EU delegation to the UN in Geneva.
