The EU has called for higher reporting rates under the Arms Trade Treaty and backed a proposal for an informal “sounding board” to help countries share problems and solutions confidentially, according to statements delivered at the treaty’s 12th Conference of States Parties in Geneva.
Reporting under the treaty remains low, and progress could be helped by technical assistance alongside political outreach to address national obstacles, the EU told delegates in remarks released by the European External Action Service (EEAS) on Thursday.
Simultaneous reporting by groups of regional states could also be used as a confidence-building measure.
The Arms Trade Treaty is a UN-linked agreement that sets standards for international transfers of conventional weapons, including requirements for countries to report on certain arms trade activity.
The EU said the treaty’s Secretariat has been convening regional, sub-regional and bilateral meetings to support information-sharing on “diversion” — when weapons are redirected to unauthorised users.
Support for this work has been built into EU backing for the Secretariat for 2025–2027, and a regional meeting for South America was held in Brazil in June.
EU points to its own arms export reporting
Detailed data on EU arms exports are published annually after national data collection and processing by the European External Action Service.
The EU’s 27th annual report on exports of military technology and equipment, covering 2024, was released in April 2026 and is available through a searchable online database.
The EU said national security considerations can limit transparency around some “legitimate transfers” of arms and ammunition by certain EU member states to Ukraine via the European Peace Facility — an EU funding mechanism used to support partners’ defence needs.
Those transfers are intended to help Ukraine exercise its right of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter “against armed aggression by the Russian Federation.”
The EU also told the meeting it supported all recommendations in the working group chair’s report on transparency and reporting, including setting up the proposed sounding board group.
Separately, the EU welcomed Ecuador’s accession to the treaty after the previous conference and urged signatories to move towards ratification and domestic implementation.
It also encouraged states with major roles in the arms trade — including exporters, importers and transit states — to join the treaty.
An EU “ATT Outreach Project” has been running since 2013 and currently works with more than 20 partner states, with funding secured through 2028.
Another EU initiative on arms export controls is in its seventh phase and covers regions including Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean.
