Subject: On the arms exports and military training by Spain to Saudi Arabia
Common Position 2008/944/CFSP lays down that Member States shall deny an export licence if there is a clear risk military equipment might be used in the commission of violations of international humanitarian law. Member States also shall first consult the Member States that have denied identical arms exports in the past three years.
Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen is causing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the UN OCHA. Violations of International Humanitarian Law are widespread since the beginning of the conflict. This has led to several Member States to deny arms exports to Saudi Arabia.
On 13th May it was made public that Spain has provided army facilities to two private contractors for the purpose of training Saudi military units in the use of weapons that these undertakings are selling to Saudi Arabia with the approval of the Spanish government, which hid* this information to the Spanish Parliament. Most Saudi soldiers that have undergone training there are deployed to the war
in Yemen.
-Is the Commission aware of this?
-Does the Commission know whether Spain has consulted those Member States which have denied arms exports to Saudi Arabia prior to granting arms exports to this country?
