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Post-shipment Control Measures: European Approaches to On-site Inspections of Exported Military Materiel
Post-shipment on-site inspections of exported military materiel enable an exporting country to verify that the materiel is still present in the country of destination and in the possession of the authorized end user. An increasing number of European countries are conducting on-site inspections, or are considering or planning to adopt such measures. A wide range of multilateral organizations already include the implementation of on-site inspections as part of their guidance documents.
This SIPRI Background Paper provides an overview of the current state of implementation as regards on-site inspections of exported military materiel by different European countries. It highlights common sensitive issues related to the implementation of on-site inspections, maps the on-site inspection policies and practices of a selection of European countries, and provides recommendations for how the European Union could play a role in promoting such practices.
Table of contents
I. Introduction
II. On-site inspections, sensitivities and multilateral guidance
III. European case studies of on-site inspections
IV. The role of the EU in promoting on-site inspections
V. Conclusions
ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)/EDITORS
Dr Andrea Edoardo Varisco is an Associate Senior Researcher at SIPRI.
Kolja Brockmann is a Senior Researcher in the SIPRI Dual-Use and Arms Trade Control programme.
Lucile Robin was a Research Assistant in SIPRI’s Dual-Use and Arms Trade Control Programme.