Though the European Parliament has long been aware of problematic use, development, and proliferation of armed drones, a host of new developments has necessitated an update on where we are. To inform both current and newly elected Members of the European Parliament, a lunch meeting was organised by the Greens/European Free Alliance on December 5th, 2019, to discuss recent developments...
The Netherlands is expected to receive four unarmed MQ-9 Reaper drones near the end of 2020, but already some parliamentarians are keen to open the debate about arming them. In November 2019, the Dutch Parliament voted in favour of a motion directing the Ministry of Defence to start investigating whether these drones should carry weapons. The motion, proposed by the...
A short overview of news and updates from our network. If you have events, publications, or updates to share, you may forward them to info {at} efadrones.org....
Though it is far from establishing a European Army, the EU is being increasingly adapted for military purposes. New instruments related to the integration, financing, and coordination of military research, development, and operations have been created in quick succession. Military unmanned systems, or drones, have taken a central stage within these developments. Their development is considered to be essential for...
The long-term impacts of western operations exacerbate the very radicalization and violence they claim to be trying to avoid....
During the UNGA in 2018, 16 States expressed concerns over armed drones in their statements, comparing with 7 States in 2017. This demonstrates a growing interest from States in addressing the challenges around armed drones use. Beyond the condemnation of current unacceptable practices, an international policy response is needed that addresses the role of drones in the use of force....
The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the EU (COMECE) has published a new reflection paper calling upon states to take action on armed drones. The publication, titled "Technology at the Service of Peace", examines the development, use, and export of armed drones as well as the development of fully autonomous weapons, also known as killerrobots. EFAD members were also...
How have armed drones changed warfare? What are the legal, ethical, and strategic implications of armed drones usage? These questions will be discussed during a conference 'Armed drones and the new form of warfare', held tomorrow June 13th from 14:30-18:30 in Hotel Nazionale, Rome. The conference is organized by the Italian Network for Disarmament (Rete Disarmo), Amnesty International, and the International...