The Nordic Countries and the European Security and Defence Policy

242 THE BROADER DIMENSIONS OF SECURITY‘contribute to the reduction of existing accumulations of these weapons . . . tolevels consistent with countries’ legitimate security needs’. 32 The Joint Actioncovers only those weapons ‘specially designed for military use’. 33Article 3 of the Joint Action includes a commitment by exporting countries tosupply SALW only to governments. The sale of military-style SALW to nonstategroups is not permitted, and the EU member states have renounced thisform of military assistance as an instrument in their foreign and security policy.The Joint Action also permits the EU to provide financial and technical assistanceto solve problems caused by existing accumulations of SALW. In thiscontext, the EU has supported the activities of international actors such as theRed Cross and the United Nations. It has also implemented EU projects inAlbania, Cambodia, Georgia and Mozambique.The EU Council of Ministers has primary responsibility for decisions concerningarmament issues. This division of responsibility dates back to Article223 of the 1957 Treaty of Rome, 34 which stipulates that arms productionand trade are exempted from the general provision of the treaty relating to competitionpolicy and the Single Market. No subsequent EU agreement haschanged this status, although modifications to the relevant article (now Article295 of the consolidated treaty) have been discussed for some time and arestill under consideration.These institutional constraints notwithstanding, the EU has developed into animportant forum in which member states discuss national policies and multilateralcooperation in areas related to (small) arms transfers. The two majorworking groups under the Council of Ministers in which member states discussthese matters are COARM and the Ad Hoc Working Party on a EuropeanArmaments Policy (POLARM). 35COARM’s aim is to harmonize EU member states’ arms export policies andto promote transparency. It makes recommendations to the Council of Ministersunder the framework of the CFSP. It is the forum in which information on armsexport policy is shared, and it publishes an annual report under Operative Provision8 of the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. 36POLARM makes recommendations to the Council of Ministers concerningthe trade in military equipment among EU member states. It aims to implement32 Council of the European Union (note 31), article 1.33 Council of the European Union, ‘Council Decision 2003/806/CFSP of 17 November 2003 extendingand amending Decision 1999/730/CFSP implementing Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP with a view to a EuropeanUnion contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and lightweapons in Cambodia’, 17 Nov. 2003, Official Journal of the European Union, vol. L 302/37 (20 Nov.2003), pp. 37–38, URL .34 The Treaty Establishing the European Community was signed on 25 Mar. 1957 and entered intoforce on 1 Jan. 1958. The consolidated text of the treaty as amended is available at URL .35 See also the SIPRI Non-proliferation and Export Control Project, ‘The European Union and conventionalarms transfers’, URL .36 Council of the European Union, ‘Sixth Annual Report according to Operative Provision 8 of theEuropean Union Code of Conduct on Arms Exports’, Official Journal of the European Union, vol. C 316(21 Dec. 2004), pp. 1–215, URL .