For a strategically oriented policy on the export of military equipment

In order to create transparency about decisions on export controls, the Federal Government publishes a comprehensive report about its export policy for military equipment twice a year. Further to this, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy also publishes press releases on data and developments in export control policy. In this way, the Federal Government furnishes information to the Bundestag and the public about German policy on the export of military equipment and on the licences issued for the export of conventional military equipment in the reference period. These transparency measures enable the Federal Government to create the basis for an objective and informed public debate on the issue of exports of military equipment.

In 2024, individual licences worth around €12.83 billion were issued for the export of military equipment (2023: approx. €12.13 billion). Of this, licences worth around €10.98 billion (2023: €10.8 billion) – 86% of the total – were issued for exports to EU, NATO and NATO-equivalent countries, Ukraine, the Republic of Korea and Singapore. In 2024, export licences worth approx. €11.26 billion were issued for other third countries. Further details can be found in the Report by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on its policy on the export of conventional military equipment in 2024.

The German Government examines the export applications very thoroughly on the basis of the rules in force. The criteria for the examination differentiate between the EU, NATO and NATO-equivalent countries (Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland) on the one hand and “third countries” on the other.

The export of military equipment to EU and NATO countries as well as countries with NATO-equivalent status is geared to the security interests of the Federal Republic of Germany, the EU and the NATO Alliance. Under the Political Principles, such exports are in principle not to be restricted unless in specific cases this is warranted on particular political grounds.

The Federal Government adheres to strict principles in the case of exports of military equipment to “third countries” - i.e. those outside the EU, NATO and NATO-equivalent countries: the export of war weapons is not licensed unless special foreign or security policy interests argue in favour of a licence in an individual case. The manufacture, trade, brokering, transport and export of war weapons are subject to the provisions of the War Weapons Control Act. This Act states explicitly that no-one has an entitlement to the granting of an export licence.

The export of “other military equipment” (military equipment which is not war weapons) is governed by the Foreign Trade and Payments Act (AWG) and Ordinance (AWV). The Foreign Trade and Payments Act (AWG) lays down the principle that foreign trade and investment is not generally subject to restrictions. This means that the applicant starts from a general right to receive an export licence. However, the screening criteria of the Political Principles of the Federal Government and the EU Common Position impose clear limits on this freedom. For the decision as to whether or not an entitlement exists to export other military equipment in a specific case, the decisive factor is not whether it is technically categorised as other military equipment, but rather the test criteria and the foreign and security policy assessment.

Who decides whether a licence should be issued?

Apart from the fields of the Bundeswehr, the customs frontier service and the agencies responsible for maintaining public security, the responsibility for issuing licences for war weapons exports has been transferred to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. It decides on applications to export war weapons in agreement with the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of Defence. For other military equipment, responsibility rests with the ​Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA).

Decisions on projects to export military equipment are taken in cooperation by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Foreign Office following a careful weighing up  of the respective arguments in terms of foreign, security and human rights policy. Where there are differing views between the ministries involved in the decision-making process, or the cases are especially significant, the Federal Security Council or the National Security Council usually decides on the issuance or denial of export licences.

Agreement on Defence Export Controls

In the Treaty of Aachen of 22 January 2019, the German and French Governments agreed to further develop European cooperation on military equipment and to develop a joint approach for exports of military equipment for joint projects. With this end in view, the Franco-German Agreement on Defence Export Controls entered into force on 23 October 2019.

On 17 September 2021, Spain signed this agreement in Paris. The inclusion of Spain represented an important step towards a further deepening of cooperation and strengthening of European cooperation in the defence industry.

The trilateral agreement is designed to be open to other European countries. On 5 December 2025, the United Kingdom acceded to the Agreement, to which France, Germany, and Spain have been parties since 2021. Further accession processes for the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden are currently underway. The agreement contributes to a strengthening of cooperation in the defence sector in Europe, particularly via procedural simplifications for collaborative projects. In this way, it can form a legal basis for harmonisation of export controls for military equipment in the EU as defined in the Coalition Agreement.

Rules governing small arms and light weapons

Since March 2015, the “Small Arms Principles” (Principles for the Issue of Licences for the Export of Small and Light Weapons, Related Ammunition and Corresponding Manufacturing Equipment to Third Countries) have been in force to improve the control of small arms and light weapons.

The principles complement the criteria of the Political Principles for licence applications subject to the rules on small arms and light weapons. The Small Arms Principles state, for example, that no licences to export components and technology to third countries (e.g. in the context of the granting of licences to manufacture) will be granted where such exports would lead to the establishment of a new manufacturing line for small arms and light weapons. The basic principle is “new for old”. If the recipient wishes to obtain small arms or light weapons, it must discard and destroy old weapons. The aim is to prevent the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. In cases in which the new purchase covers a credible need on the part of the recipient for more equipment, and old weapons are not destroyed, the recipient has to make a binding promise to destroy the new weapons when they are discarded – the “alternative” principle : “New, destroy when discarded”. Also, recipients in third countries require the agreement of the German Government before they hand small arms and light weapons on to other recipients in the country of destination than those covered by the export licence.

Since 2019, the Political Principles have stipulated that in principle no licences are to be issued for exports of small arms to third countries. The intention is to further reduce the risk of destabilising stockpiling and uncontrolled proliferation of small arms.

Post-shipment controls

In order to improve its ability to control the final destination of military equipment supplied from Germany, the Federal Government has been able to use the instrument of “post-shipment controls” since 2015. State recipients of small arms, light weapons and certain firearms in third countries have to agree to actual controls of the cited end-use of the military equipment in the country of destination before the export licence is issued. In other words, following the export, it is possible to inspect whether the weapons are still in the possession of the end-user in the country of destination. This can prevent small arms from being passed on to others without permission.

The necessary basis is found in the Key points for the introduction of post-shipment controls published in July 2015 and the 2016 revision of the Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance. The results of a pilot phase and an evaluation in 2021 showed that the post-shipment controls have proved their worth as an additional instrument to ensure end-use in practice; since then, they have been a standard element of the checks available to the Federal Government relating to the exports of small arms and light weapons to third countries; on-the-spot checks take place regularly. 

Germany has thus introduced a system where controls for exports of military equipment do not end following the granting of an export licence.

The Federal Government is also advocating at EU level and internationally for the global recognition and use of the instrument of post-shipment controls. Specific verification measures are now explicitly recognised as part of end-use monitoring in the Common Position; other EU countries have also now introduced such measures.

The ​War Weapons Control Act provides that all activities in connection with war weapons (production, acquisition and transfer of actual control, every type of transport or foreign transaction) require prior licensing by the Federal Government. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is the licensing agency for commercial transactions; the Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of the Interior, and Federal Ministry of Defence, whose portfolios include the handling of war weapons, are responsible for the respective licences pursuant to the War Weapons Control Act falling within their scope of competence.

Please note that as per section 6 War Weapons Control Act, applicants have no legal entitlement to the issuance of a licence. Licences must always be denied where there is a danger that the war weapons will be used in connection with peace-disturbing acts, that the obligations of the Federal Republic of Germany under international law will be impaired, or where the applicant does not possess the necessary reliability for the action. In principle, licences will not be issued to private individuals wishing to use war weapons for private purposes (e.g. for collecting or for playing sports). A successful application must furnish proof that the desired handling of war weapons is in the best interest of the public/state, or such an interest must be apparent.

Key requirements in connection with application procedures under the War Weapons Control Act are set out in the ​Second Ordinance implementing the War Weapons Control Act. The ​Ordinance on General Licences pursuant to the War Weapons Control Act establishes specific cases in which general licences are issued, so that no individual licences are required.

Fees are levied for the processing of applications and inquiries in the field of war weapons control which are addressed to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy from 1 January 2024; these fees are set in line with the Special Fee Ordinances of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy for individually attributable public services in the field of responsibility of the ministry and of the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control for war weapons control, export control and investment screening (​BMWEBGebKAIV).

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has published several guidance papers and additional information on the subject of war weapons control and related application procedures. You can find these here.

You will also find the special data protection statement applying for approval procedures under the War Weapons Control Act and other inquiries on war weapons control; this applies in addition to the Ministry’s general data protection statement.

You can find explanatory notes regarding the War Weapons List here.

For any questions on war weapons control, please contact Division VE6: buero-VE6@bmwe.bund.de.

Licence holders under the War Weapons Control Act are subject to specific obligations, notably that of keeping a war weapons log. The Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control is the surveillance authority responsible for war weapons control, which means that it monitors compliance with the licensing requirements, e.g. by conducting inspections on company premises. For further ​information on the surveillance responsibilities of the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control and for their guidance papers, please click here.

War weapons rendered unusable/demilitarisation

The handling of war weapons rendered unusable for military purposes and the procedure used to achieve this condition is governed by the Ordinance on rendering war weapons unusable and on the handling of war weapons rendered unusable (​KrWaffUnbrUmgV).

Upon application, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy can declare that a product has lost the characteristics of a war weapon and can be referred to as unusable.

For all cases for which the Ordinance stipulates that the handling of ​war weapons rendered unusable is dependent on permits or special licences, the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control is the competent licensing authority. Further information on war weapons rendered unusable and demilitarisation can be found here.

Applications for licences under the War Weapons Control Act

Please use the online application procedure provided via the federal portal for applications for licences under the War Weapons Control Act. ​Here is a link to the federal portal verwaltung.bund.de.

Should problems arise with the application portal, please let us know by email (buero-VE6@bmwe.bund.de); in this case, applications can exceptionally be submitted via this email address.

When foreign applicants apply for licences, it is possible to use the offline application procedure offered by the portal (without registration). In this case, please complete the application form provided in offline mode and send us a copy of the signed application form and the attachments by email (only) to buero-VE6@bmwe.bund.de.

Please refrain from submitting the same application via parallel channels (application portal, email, post).

These guidelines provide further information and hints, as well as answers to questions about the online application procedure which have been sent in the past to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy.