Scholz urges more European co-op on arms exports

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promoted European cooperation on arms exports, as Berlin prepares a massive investment programme for its own military.

An existing body called the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) has what it takes to become "the nucleus of European cooperation," Scholz told a military conference in Berlin.

OCCAR was set up by several European countries in 1996 to "improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of their armaments co-operation."

Members states will, however, have to revisit their reservations and change regulations on the use and export of jointly produced systems, Scholz said.

"This may come as a surprise to some - but the Federal Government is prepared to do so," Scholz said.

Germany has traditionally had a highly restrictive arms export policy, but many of these tenets have fallen away as it sends German-made weapons and other hardware to Ukraine.

Speaking on Thursday at the conference, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht had already advocated softening Germany's guidelines for arms exports in order to facilitate cooperation with European allies such as France, Spain or Britain.

These European partners do not necessarily link arms exports to the human rights situation in the countries they are selling to, as Germany does. If they want to sell arms jointly developed with Germany, however, they would currently need to abide by German export rules.

A common European armament plan is possible, Scholz said - and is often the only way forward in the case of new, complex systems.

"Only the coordinated development of European capabilities will lead to a Europe capable of action," he said, stressing the role of air defence.

In the days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Scholz announced that his government would invest €100 billion in the German military.