Spain amends legislation on foreign military deals
Spain’s Council of Ministers approved a new royal decree on 28 April which changes the country’s arms export control regulations with the aim of ensuring the end-user meets the agreements made before delivery.
Changes will be made to Royal Decree 679/2014 to allow for the establishment of new follow-up and verification mechanisms which will be overseen by the Interministerial Regulatory Board for Foreign Trade in Defence and Dual-Use Material (Jimduu).
Destination verification will be strengthened by a new control document aimed at offering greater legal protection to the manufacturer.
These measures were first announced in September 2018 after the Spanish government prevented a company from selling 400 precision bombs to Saudi Arabia which were to be used in Yemen.
Under Article 4 of Law 53/2007, the transfer of defence products (including dual-use) are subject to prior administrative authorisation and must be accompanied by the relevant control documents.
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