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Spain: In Brief

01 May 1996

Indefinite ban on export of anti-personnel mines:The Spanish cabinet meeting of 8 March imposed an indefinite moratorium on the export of anti-personnel mines. The ban affects undetectable, non-self-destructive types of mine, which may not be exported to any country. It also prohibits the export of any type of anti-personnel mine to countries which are not party to the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions and Restrictions of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects. Conservatives undertake to abolish conscription: Among other compromises required to secure parliamentary approval of its minority government, the Partido Popular (PP) has undertaken to professionalise the Spanish armed forces, necessitating the abolition of compulsory military service. Although no timetable has been set the process is likely to take at least six years, depending on budgetary constraints. Legislation on the matter is to be tabled during the present parliamentary session. The change of position by the PP, which during the election campaign promised only a reduction in the period of service to six months, is thought to have been influenced by the announcement by French President Jacques Chirac of plans to professionalise his country's armed forces within six years.