Annex A - Official Documents

� Equipment for de-mining and bomb disposal
work.
Annex D to this report contains an exhaustive list
of the UK’s International Commitments on Export
Controls and from where the obligation stems.
However, the following is a list of countries which
are currently subject to arms embargoes in their
own right (i.e. not those subject to other restrictions
or a more limited sanction by virtue of proximity to
an embargoed destination) and implemented by
the UK:
� Armenia
� Azerbaijan
� Burma
� People’s Republic of China (not including
Hong Kong or Macau)
� Democratic Republic of Congo
� Iran
� Iraq
� Liberia
� Rwanda
� Sierra Leone
� Somalia
� Sudan
� Uzbekistan
� Zimbabwe.
2.4 EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports
The EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports was
adopted in June 1998. It established eight criteria
which EU Member States agreed to use when
considering licence applications for the export of
goods on the EU common military list. The Code
also established a system of confidential
consultation on licence denials. This was aimed at
encouraging greater coherence in decision-making
by obliging partners to consult each other on
essentially identical transactions (i.e. reducing the
scope for end-users “shopping around” EU
Member States hoping to secure equipment the
export of which had already been denied
elsewhere). The Criteria of the Code form the
basis of the UK’s Consolidated EU and National
Export Licensing Criteria.
The Code represents an important collective
acknowledgement by EU Member States of the
negative impact that inappropriate and
irresponsible arms exports can have in
precipitating or fuelling conflict, assisting terrorism
and the abuse of human rights, and in frustrating
the pursuit of sustainable development in some of
the most vulnerable parts of the world.
In June 2000, the Criteria of the Code were
extended to cover dual-use items under EC
Regulation 1334 where a military end-use/enduser
of the goods was known or suspected.
The Code also has a User’s Guide, which was first
developed to improve the efficiency of the denial
notification and consultation system. The User’s
Guide is now being developed further with the aim
of sharing best practice in the application and
common understanding of the Code Criteria
across the EU. During the UK Presidency of the
EU in the latter half of 2005, agreement was
reached on best practice in the application of
Criterion 8 of the Code (sustainable development).
Further work was also started on similar guidance
covering Criterion 2 (internal repression) and
Criterion 7 (diversion). This work has now been
completed under the Austrian Presidency and
agreement reached to start work on Criterion 3
(internal situation) and Criterion 5 (regional
stability). The text of the User’s Guide Best
Practice is reproduced at Annex F to this Report.
The EU also produces an Annual Report that
provides a useful country by country breakdown of
each Member States’ exports. The Eighth EU
Annual Report was produced in 2005. Many
Member States also produce their own National
Reports that are available via the Internet. Annex
G to this Report provides a list of those currently
available.
Chapter heading
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