Brussels, 30th June 2011: The Commission today launched a debate on the EU’s system of exports controls for items that have both military and civilian uses. Such items could, for instance, be elements designed for nuclear power plants which could be applied in nuclear weapons and hence diverted to military uses. The EU has a system to control the final destination of such "dual-use" goods and prevent their unintended use. Existing legislation obliges the Commission to review the current system and to report in 2012.

The Commission is inviting views on how export controls should be administered through a Green Paper, adopted today. The Green Paper examines closer cooperation among Member State authorities, a better exchange of information, the abolition of barriers on trade within the EU and new pan-European tools designed to ensure consistency of application of controls across all Member States.
The Commission welcomes views before 31 October 2011 and will report in early 2012 on the results of the consultation. Later in 2012, the Commission will present to the European Parliament and Council its formal report on the review of the European export control system.
Dual-use items are at the forefront of the EU's high-tech industry and account for up to 10% of EU exports.
 
More information on dual use
The Green Paper consultation
 

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.