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Glossary export control policy for military equipment

From the Arms Trade Treaty to war weapons:
the glossary explains key terms used in the field of export control policy for military equipment.

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There is no uniform international definition of “small arms”. The reports by the Federal Government use the EU’s definition of small arms. Small arms represent a subset of the firearms covered under Export List numbers A0001 to A0022. This means that they include machine guns, submachine guns, and fully and semi-automatic rifles.

“Third countries” in the context of military equipment export controls are all areas outside the customs area of the European Union which do not belong to the group of NATO countries or NATO-equivalent countries (currently Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Switzerland)

In July 2001, the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects adopted the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. It contains statements and recommendations on various aspects of the control of small arms, and forms the starting point for a host of global and regional initiatives.

See Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)

War weapons are all weapons intended for the waging of war within the meaning of the War Weapons Control Act (section 1(1) of the Act). The Federal Government can supplement or alter the list of war weapons by ordinance with the approval of the Bundesrat to bring it into line with the scientific, technical or military state of the art.

Article 26(2) of the Basic Law forms the basis for the control of military equipment. The implementing act is the War Weapons Control Act, which regulates the manufacture, transfer, marketing, acquisition and transportation of objects, materials and organisms intended for the waging of war.

Since war weapons are subject to special restrictions, their manufacture and transportation within Germany are subject to licence. What types of military equipment are also defined as war weapons is clearly stated in the War Weapons List, an annex to the War Weapons Control Act. Examples of war weapons include combat aircraft, tanks, fully automatic small firearms and warships.