Germany's New Security Strategy Stresses Importance of Export Controls, Sanctions

Germany released its first national security strategy this week, emphasizing the importance of export controls and sanctions to protect against human rights abuses. The 76-page document, which dives into a range of security issues, mentions that Germany wants Europe to achieve better “harmonization of arms export controls” and that it supports the “flexible use of EU sanctions.”

Sanctions collaboration, particularly involving Group of 7 countries, “increases effectiveness and efficiency” of the measures, the strategy said, according to an unofficial translation. “Against sanctions and economic coercive measures taken against us and our EU partners, the federal government will protect itself better and will” support the “further development of instruments” to deter coercion from third countries, Germany said.

The strategy also called out China as a “systemic rival,” adding that “elements of rivalry and of competition have increased in recent years.” But Germany also said China “remains one partner without whom many of the most urgent global challenges cannot be solved.”