BRUSSELS (IPS) - Arms traders are seeking to convince the European Union that publicly-funded scientific research grants should help develop weapons for future wars.
In a series of secret discussions, Brussels officials and representatives of the arms industry are examining if the EU's multi-billion euro "framework program" for research can be used for projects of a military nature.
Since the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, senior policy-makers in the European Commission, the EU's executive wing, have been eager to ensure a greater involvement of arms manufacturers in the program. Yet because of the reluctance of some EU governments to give the commission a greater say in military matters, the scope of "security research" has so far been limited to projects that, according to EU officials, can be categorized as "civilian" and "non-lethal."
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