EU agrees new rules on trade of dual-use items
"New rules on trade of dual-use items agreed", 9 Nov 2020
The German presidency of the Council and European Parliament representatives today reached a provisional political agreement on a revised regulation setting out the EU regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items.
... "Thanks to the new rules, we will in the future be better equipped to allow legitimate trade to be carried out smoothly, but also to put an emphasis on control of certain technologies, especially cyber-surveillance items, which can be misused in connection with human rights violations. Furthermore, we strengthen our common EU approach by providing for more ways in which the member states can cooperate in the field of export controls." [Said Peter Altmaier, German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and President of the Council]
... The EU’s current export control system for dual-use items has been in place since 2009. This system needed, however, to be adapted to the changing technological, economic and political circumstances.
... The main features of the agreed regulation are as follows:
- in order to prevent human rights violations and security threats linked to the potential misuse of cyber-surveillance technology, the new rules include provisions making this technology subject to stricter export controls in certain circumstances...