Guns, butter and human rights. A multidimensional analysis of the EU arms industry through the lens of human rights

Abstract

The objective of this work is twofold. Firstly, I aim to identify the normative and enforcement gaps in the international arms control framework that allow arms exports from EU Member States to recipients involved in serious human rights and humanitarian law violations. Secondly, in light of the evidence of a drift towards militarisation in the EU, I seek to elucidate the drivers behind EU defense industry policies and the role of human rights within them. To these ends, I examine the EU arms industry from three dimensions: regulatory, economic, and political. I begin with a critical analysis of international disarmament treaties and EU arms export rules (Chapter 1). Then, I analyse the macroeconomic impact of this industry and the influences exerted by major arms companies, scrutinising their control structures, main markets, and human rights policies (Chapter 2). Finally, I conceptualise the political decisions underlying EU militarisation in the current context of complex multipolarity and nationalistic tensions, examining these decisions and the narratives that support them, along with diverse critical approaches (Chapter 3). By using the lens of human rights, I aim to find a pragmatic yet principled approach between the prevalent realpolitik position —increasing military expenditure and building a strong EU arms industry as the only way to peace and security—, and the now utopian full disarmament agenda.