In June 2008 the European Union Code of Conduct on Arms Exports will mark its 10th anniversary. This new SIPRI Policy Paper examines the impact of the EU Code over its first 10 years via a close examination of three middle-ranking arms exporters: the Czech Republic, Spain and the Netherlands. The picture that emerges is of a dynamic agreement in which smaller member states have had a strong hand in pushing developments forward.

The author gathered much of the evidence for how the Code of Conduct works in practice directly from the officials who implement it and the politicians and campaigners who monitor their decisions. His detailed study of the mechanisms of development and implementation of the Code of Conduct allows him to present recommendations for how it could be strengthened and made to function more effectively.

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