Publication details
Arms Import Diversification in Europe’s Underbelly. Implications for the Reversal of the Responsible Trend in Arms Transfersn
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | Arms transfers, defense cooperation and even licensed production contracts controversial to the normative ambition of responsible arms transfers are not a novelty; nor is the news of a perhaps stillborn Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), pro-forma regional arrangements (such as the Common Position 2008/944/CFSP), or nationally professed self-restraint policies (such as those of the UK). However, their systemic abandonment is of far greater interest. Recent developments in the MENA region have unmistakably reignited the Krausian triangle of primary arms transfer motivations and competition for these markets signals a systemic shift away from normative considerations. While aspects of this shift are not entirely without parallel in the past, this article focuses on the differentiating aspects that bear security implications for the region and Europe. Moreover, the identified trend is gravitating toward the characteristics of a new arms race in the Middle East which may, in parallel with the constellation of external drivers, successfully reverse the accomplished progress on responsible arms transfer policies. These include a diversification counter-push triggered by normative appeals, regional balancing ambitions based on domestic defense industrial ambitions, and others, including an emerging European giants’ competition over Brexit. Owing to the nature of the arms trade – being far more than a commodity and a very good indicator of foreign policy positions – the article analyses the impact of this trend on the regional security complex, Europe’s security standing, and its normative ambitions. |
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