High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas has told the European Parliament that the EU has no mechanism to monitor or enforce arms export controls by member states to Israel, and that she is not mandated to assess whether specific transfers comply with the Council Common Position or the Arms Trade Treaty. In a written answer published on 13 July 2026, Kallas stressed that export licensing remains a national competence, with member states solely responsible for compliance. The reply came in response to a question from S&D MEPs Krzysztof Śmiszek, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus and Robert Biedroń, who had asked whether the Commission and the European External Action Service have supervisory tools to respond to possible errors in licensing procedures, and whether deliberate omission or flawed risk assessment could trigger EU investigations or policy measures. Kallas confirmed that the Council's competent working group regularly exchanges views on the application of the Common Position criteria, and that the impact of the Gaza conflict on national arms export policies is continuously on the agenda, with member states confidentially sharing information.
However, she offered no concrete proposals for new EU-level oversight or enforcement powers. The answer signals that the EU executive sees no legal basis to intervene in national licensing decisions, even amid concerns that arms transferred to Israel could be used in violation of international humanitarian law. The EU has repeatedly urged Israel to respect international law and protect civilians, but Kallas's response underscores the limits of EU institutional leverage in this area. No immediate legislative or policy follow-up is expected, though the issue remains on the Council's agenda for further confidential exchanges among member states.