After months of refusing to re-export Swiss war materiel to Ukraine, a parliamentary committee in Switzerland has recommended easing export controls.
Countries like Spain, Denmark, and Germany have been asking Switzerland to allow them to export Swiss-made armaments to Ukraine for over a year, but the Swiss government has been firm in its decision to respect the Swiss War Materiel Act.
This act makes it impossible to re-export Swiss-made war materiel to countries involved in a conflict.
But on Thursday the Security Policy Committee passed two motions to ease the rules on the re-export of Swiss armaments. The motions were approved in the Senate committee by eight votes to five.
One of the motions seeks to lift some restrictions on the export of war materiel “in exceptional circumstances and if required to ensure national security,” the committee said in a statement.
The second could also allow deliveries to countries “that are committed to our values and have similar export controls to Switzerland.”
Buyers could re-export Swiss armaments after five years, under certain conditions. Re-exports to countries that “severely” violate human rights or pose a risk to the civilian population would be banned. This would allow the re-export of Swiss-made weapons to Ukraine, but not to Russia.
The president of the Committee, Werner Salzmann of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, said the purpose of the motions was to ensure the viability of the Swiss defence industry.