Lobbyists for the defense and arms industry play a significant role in determining arms export policies, especially to conflict zones or authoritarian governments.

Their influence often comes from a close, institutionalized relationship with government that blurs the lines between industry interests and national policy. They actively work to weaken export controls, promote a pro-export culture, and frame exports as a tool of foreign policy regardless of the recipient's human rights record.

Weakening Export Controls

A key strategy for arms lobbyists is to undermine or weaken the regulations that control arms exports. This ensures a more permissive environment for sales, particularly to controversial destinations.

• Lobbying Against Strict Criteria: In both the UK and EU, governments have a set of criteria they are supposed to use to assess arms export licenses. These include human rights, regional stability, and the risk of arms being used for internal repression. However, lobbyists work tirelessly to argue against the strict application of these rules, claiming that a rigid interpretation would put their companies at a competitive disadvantage.

• Targeting Oversight Bodies: Lobbyists target the government departments and parliamentary committees responsible for export controls. In the UK, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is responsible for issuing licenses, and it is a key target for lobbying. Similarly, in the EU, lobbyists engage with the European Commission and member state governments to influence their positions on a common EU arms export policy.

• The Revolving Door: The movement of former military officers, civil servants, and politicians into senior positions in the arms industry provides a powerful, often untraceable, form of lobbying. These individuals use their insider knowledge and personal networks to facilitate deals and argue for more lenient export controls. Their presence in the industry makes it easier to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and gain privileged access to decision-makers. .

Promoting a "Pro-Export" Culture

Lobbyists work to create a political and economic environment where arms exports are seen not as a security risk but as a strategic necessity.

• Economic Justification: A central lobbying argument is that arms exports are vital for economic growth and job creation. They argue that a robust export market is necessary to sustain domestic defense industries, support skilled jobs, and fund research and development. This narrative is highly effective in gaining political support, as politicians can present arms exports as a way to boost their constituencies' economies.

• Diplomatic and Strategic Tool: Lobbyists frame arms exports as a crucial tool of foreign policy, arguing that selling weapons to a country helps to strengthen alliances, build military-to-military cooperation, and project influence. They argue that if the UK or a European country doesn't sell weapons, another country—like Russia or China—will, and that it's better to maintain control over the arms supply chain. This argument is used to justify sales to authoritarian regimes, arguing that it is a way to gain leverage and "influence for good."

Targeting Authoritarian Regimes and Conflict Zones

Despite public opposition and official export control criteria, lobbyists play a key role in facilitating sales to conflict zones and authoritarian governments.

• Circumventing Scrutiny: Lobbyists help companies navigate legal and political challenges to controversial sales. When an export license is being scrutinized due to human rights concerns, lobbyists provide governments with justifications and reassurances that the weapons will not be used for repression.

• Collective Lobbying: In Brussels, the arms industry uses powerful trade associations like the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) to lobby collectively. This allows them to present a unified front and amplify their message across all EU member states, making it harder for any single government to implement a restrictive export policy. They push for a common EU policy that prioritizes commercial interests over human rights.

• Real-World Consequences: The impact of this lobbying is evident in real-world arms transfers. Major European arms-exporting democracies have transferred substantial volumes of arms to "not free" states. For example, countries have continued to supply weapons to members of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen despite extensive evidence of war crimes. This highlights the gap between public policy commitments and the reality of export practices, a gap that is often exploited by lobbyists.