Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator and her colleagues for engaging with my officials on this amendment last week. Transparency in relation to the export of military equipment from the EU is a key objective of the EU's export control framework. To give practical effect to this objective, all EU member states are obliged to provide detailed annual returns to the EU on licensing for military equipment by a member state. Based on these returns, the Council of the European Union publishes an annual report providing detailed information on exports of military equipment authorised by EU member states. The most recent edition was published in December 2022 and reported on exports during 2021. Furthermore, in 2021, the European External Action Service launched a searchable online database which contained the annual military equipment export data of all EU member states since 2013. I am advised this is accessible and relatively easy to use.

My concern is this proposed amendment would introduce a duplicate regulatory requirement which would be contrary to effective operation of the Single Market. Furthermore, I am not convinced it would list any new information. The effectiveness of EU export controls is predicated on consistent and uniform implementation of export controls across the member states. If Ireland were to adopt a unilateral requirement in this matter, it would not be in keeping with this goal. Therefore, I cannot accept this amendment.