Europe can take lead in ending illegal arms trade says North East Euro MP Fiona Hall

4.00.00pm GMT Mon 10th Nov 2008

Euro-MP Fiona Hall has called on the French, current holders of the EU presidency, to use their leadership to make the EU Code of Conduct on the Arms Trade legally binding.

Because of her efforts to bring consistency to EU policies on arms trading and development, Fiona has been awarded a star by the EU Coherence Programme.

Said Fiona,

"The cost of armed conflict is obvious in the loss of life and destruction caused by war. But the cost to development is also high, not least because of damage to state infrastructure for health care and education.

Fiona was joined by African politicians, representatives from the Council of the European Union, the arms industry, NGOs and academics at a seminar she organised recently in Brussels.

Participants were agreed that the EU can take the lead in lifting people in war torn areas out of poverty, through its position as the world's largest provider of development aid. However, this would also mean that a tough commitment would have to be adopted on ending the irresponsible trade in arms - problematic when some EU member states are among the world's leading arms exporters.

"If we want to reduce extreme poverty in developing countries, we have to make sure that our own policies do not work against us," Fiona said after the seminar.

"Stopping the export to Africa of small arms destined for illicit or destabilising use is a way in which the EU can make a real impact on lifting people out of poverty."

"The EU has a voluntary Code of Conduct to ensure the responsible transfer of arms, but it is now time to make it a legally binding instrument. EU investment in health, education, food security and poverty reduction is very much needed in these areas, but will be useless if illegally traded weapons are still readily available.

"The irresponsible transfer of arms must be ended."