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.