Deutsch-französische Rüstungvorhaben: Export-Veto nur in gravierenden Fällen

Veröffentlicht am von

Anfang der Woche spielte sie eine große Rolle, die Zusatzvereinbarung Deutschlands und Frankreichs zum Aachener Vertrag, in der die Frage der Exporte bei künftigen gemeinsamen Rüstungsprojekten beider Länder geregelt werden soll. Regierungssprecher Steffen Seibert hatte sie so charakterisiert:

Richtig ist, dass Deutschland und Frankreich zu Fragen des Rüstungsexports miteinander im Gespräch sind und dass es im Ergebnis dieser Gespräche auch eine erste politische Verständigung über gemeinsame Verfahren zu Rüstungsexporten im Kontext von deutsch-französischen Gemeinschaftsprojekten oder Zulieferungen gegeben hat. Diese politische Verständigung ist in einem Papier fixiert, das Mitte Januar zwischen den Regierungen ausgetauscht wurde. Auf Basis dieses Papiers werden nun die Gespräche weitergeführt, mit dem Ziel, daraus eine förmliche Vereinbarung zu machen.

Da ist es doch durchaus interessant, sich dieses Papier, das ja noch keine förmliche Vereinbarung ist, mal genauer anzuschauen. Inzwischen kursiert es in Berlin, deshalb hier der Wortlaut:

France and Germany:

– Highlight that they are bound by the same European and international commitments in the field of arms export control and licensing of exports, in particular the Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP of 8 December 2008 defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment and the Arms Trade Treaty;

– Recognize their respective competence to authorize transfer or export, from their territories, of defence products from major programmes conducted in cooperation, or that have been developed by the French-German industrial fabric;

– Recognize that Germany conducts its national export control on the basis of its national legislation and the Policy Principles of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Export of War Weapons and Other Military Equipment of January 19, 2000 and that France conducts its national export control on the basis of its national legislation and regulations, including relevant provisions of the Defense Code;

– Recognize the importance for the economic and political success of their industrial and governmental cooperation of reliable transfer and export perspectives;

– Undertake to reduce administrative burden on export controls, thus ensuring the success of their common programmes and facilitate French-German industrial partnerships.

1 – Principles applicable to major programmes conducted in cooperation (including NGWS and MGCS) and to their subsystems.

The following principles will be implemented:

– The parties will mutually inform one another, well in advance of formal negotiations, of the opportunity of sales to third countries, and transfer the information needed for the other party’s analysis. This mutual transfer of information includes discussions on the conditions permitting, from the exporting country’s point of view, to conduct the operation in compliance with common European and international commitments;

– The parties will not oppose a transfer or export to a third country proposed by one of the cooperating States, except on an exceptional basis, where their direct interests or national security are compromised. ;

– In the event of one State opposing a transfer or export, it shall inform the other party as soon as possible and within at most two months of learning about the proposed transfer or export. The Parties will immediately launch high-level consultations to share analysis and identify appropriate solutions. A State opposing an export undertakes in this case to do everything possible to propose alternative solutions.

2 – Principles applicable to defence products from cooperation, developed by one Party’s manufacturer and incorporated into a system of the other Party

The following principles will be implemented:

– The Parties will not oppose an export or transfer by the other State of a system incorporating defence products developed in its territory under or following cooperation projects, except on an exceptional basis where their direct interests or national security are compromised

– In this case, the opposing party shall inform the other party as soon as possible, and within at most two months of learning about the proposed export. The Parties will immediately launch high-level consultations to share analysis and identify acceptable solutions.

3 – Principles applicable to defence products developed by one Party’s manufacturer and incorporated into a system of the other Party

Defence products developed by one Party’s manufacturer (outside the framework of cooperation projects) and incorporated by the manufacturers of the other Party shall be subject to the de minimis principle: so long as the portion of the activity of the manufacturers of one State in the defence systems transferred or exported by the other State remains below a percentage jointly determined beforehand, the Party will issue the respective export authorizations without delay.

4. The parties decide to establish a permanent body to consult each other on all matters pertaining to the principles on transfers and exports as outlined above.

Also im Wesentlichen, wie schon bekannt: die Suche nach Kompromissen und eine gemeinsame Kommission – a permanent body – zur Klärung der Exportfragen. Vor allem aber: Der Grundsatz, dass keines der beiden Länder den Exportplänen des anderen widerspricht, so lange nicht dessen direkte Interessen oder die nationale Sicherheit beeinträchtigt sind. Das bietet genügend Stoff für Diskussionen, wo das anfängt.

(Der Wortlaut wurde am heutigen Freitag als erstes vom Fachinformationsdienst Griephan Briefe veröffentlicht; aber es gibt auch weitere Quellen dafür in Berlin.)

(Archivbild: Verteidigungsministerin Ursula von der Leyen, empfängt ihre französische Kollegin Florence Parly mit militärischen Ehren im Bendlerblock in Berlin am 26.04.2018 – Christian Thiel/Bundeswehr)