To counter the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and related materials, equipment and technologies, the EU P2P Export Control Programme for Dual-use Goods aims to enhance the effectiveness of dual-use export controls worldwide.
Export Controls, also referred to as Strategic Trade Controls, are designed to regulate and facilitate the international trade of dual-use goods. Dual-use goods comprise highly sensitive products and technologies that can be used for both civilian and military applications.
The overall framework for these efforts is set in the EU Global Strategy, the preceding EU Security Strategy (2003, PDF), the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and EU regulation No 2021/821 with its subsequent amendments, notably the Commission Delegated Act that provides the annual updates of the EU dual-use control lists which serve as a key reference.
At international level, the legal basis is provided by the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, which calls upon all States to establish, develop, review and maintain appropriate effective national export and transhipment controls over nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery. This includes the adoption and implementation of appropriate laws and regulations to control export, transit, trans-shipment and re-export. Furthermore, international non-proliferation instruments, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) legally require, or implicitly necessitate, dual-use export controls to prevent technologies, materials, and software with civilian applications from being diverted to weapon programs.
Members
The EU's international cooperation programme on dual-use export controls began in 2004 with four participating countries from South East Europe. Since then, it has built strong partnerships with 50+ countries, many of which decided to adopt legal frameworks and control lists similar to the EU’s own Dual-use Export Control Regulation (EU) 2021/821.
Objectives
The EU P2P Programme aims to enhance international security and support a global level-playing field by promoting the global convergence of export controls. It fosters long-term cooperation for security and mutual economic benefits.
The Programme offers dialogues and mobilises European and international best practices in all areas of dual-use export controls such as legal and regulatory frameworks, licensing best practices, customs enforcement, investigation and prosecution, outreach to industry, research institutes and academia, and more.
These activities are designed to support the national implementation of international obligations, particularly the requirements of UN Security Council Resolution 1540. They are tailored and they operate on the basis of peer-to-peer consultations.
The Programme strengthens national and regional capacities, while taking into account the balance between security and economic considerations.
Experts
Approximately 200 subject-matter experts from the EU and beyond, representing diverse professional backgrounds, contribute their expertise to the various EU P2P projects.
Funding through NDICI
The EU P2P Export Control Programme is funded through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI – Global Europe), which is the European Union’s primary funding instrument for external action from 2021 to 2027.
NDICI - Global Europe supports the EU’s external policies, including international cooperation, humanitarian aid, crisis response, peacebuilding, and global challenges. It replaces several previous EU external financing instruments, such as the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) that previously funded the EU P2P Export Control Programme for Dual-use Goods.