EU security policy being made by arms manufacturers?
The Register discusses a report from Statewatch into the formation of EU security policy. Worryingly, it appears that the EU has effectively given control of its policy and the direction of R&D into the hands of arms manufacturers – the very companies that will profit from the results of such policies and research.
Responsibility for the formation of civil security policy and strategy have been given to the European Association of Aerospace and Defence Industries, a lobby group, and Thales, the European military giant…it had no representation from the EU parliament or Commission, and no ethical or civil representatives…With the power to control EU budgets, arms firms have already provided themselves with funding for projects including robot aircraft for “peacetime security”...They have used their power to recommended giving themselves €1bn of subsidies, in addition to existing arms subsidies, to fund a raft of research projects for monitoring and controlling civil populations….this is in effect a subsidy to cover the cost of arms firms branching out into civil surveillance
pax et bonum
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