§ Lord Actonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps have been taken by the European Union to adopt an arms embargo against Ethiopia and Eritrea. [HL1645]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanFollowing a UK proposal, the European Union adopted a mandatory arms embargo against Ethiopia and Eritrea at the EU Finance Ministers' Council on 15 March 1999.
Following adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1227 on 10 February 1999, which urged UN member states to end immediately all sales of arms and munitions to Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Government took immediate steps to ban exports from the UK to Ethiopia and Eritrea of all goods and technology on the Military List, which forms Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended. Details were reported to Parliament on 16 February (WA 71–72). The national measures necessary to implement the EU arms embargo were therefore already in place when the EU embargo was adopted.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be issuing a press release on the EU embargo and has issued guidance to departments in London, posts overseas and other Whitehall departments. An updated version of the list of all UK policy commitments on the application of strategic export controls, including arms embargoes, will be placed in the Library of the House.