The arms industry is one of the most opaque sectors in Europe — and one of the least scrutinised. This session will offer a detailed look into the recent history and evolving strategies of the arms industry’s lobbying efforts, both at the EU institutions and bodies, and at national governments that control export licenses.
The session will explore how the industry has adapted and expanded its influence in recent years, especially in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency and his open scepticism of NATO.
Attendees will learn:
- Who the key arms industry players and lobbyists are, and how they operate at the EU level.
- The strategies used by the arms lobby to influence European institutions, defence policies, funding programmes.
- What legislative files and funding mechanisms they are currently targeting and why.
- Who the most relevant policy-makers in this field are.
- How journalists can track lobbying events, funding decisions, and defence deals that often remain under the radar.
- What stories are being missed and where journalists should be looking next.
The speakers will assume that attendees have at least some basic knowledge of the EU functioning and decision making-process, and of the recent
ReArm Europe plan and
EU White Paper for defence.A booklet on EU militarisation main steps until 2021 is also available in
German,
English,
French,
Italian and
Spanish (ENAAT and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung)
