Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — Participants in a multilateral export control regime designed to govern the transfer of conventional weapons and dual-use items agreed last week to amend the regime’s control lists (see GSN, Dec. 10).

The 33 members of the Wassenaar Arrangement held their annual plenary meeting, chaired by the United States, Dec. 10-12 in Vienna. The arrangement seeks to control the transfer of conventional arms, dual-use items and technology that could be used to develop weapons of mass destruction by coordinating national export control policies.

During this year’s meeting, regime members agreed to “strengthened controls” on several types of items, such as certain types of microwave electronic devices, semiconductor lasers and navigation equipment, according to a regime statement. It said that regime members took into account “advances in technology and market availability” when considering changes to the Wassenaar control lists. In addition, members also worked to make the control lists more user-friendly for national licensing authorities and commercial exporters, with an aim toward the clear identification of the “most sensitive” items on the control lists, the regime statement said.

Last week, the United States formally amended the U.S. Commerce Control List to reflect the changes made to the Wassenaar control lists during the regime’s 2002 plenary meeting.

Members also agreed during last week’s meeting that dual-use items not included on the regime’s control list should require governmental authorization when intended for military purposes before they can be transferred to countries subjected to a U.N. Security Council arms embargo or any relevant regional arms embargo, the regime statement said.

In addition, Wassenaar members also discussed pending membership applications, which could be accepted on a “case-by-case basis.” A U.S. official told Global Security Newswire today that membership considerations need to be based on whether the prospective country shares the objectives of the regime and if it could a make a significant contribution to the regime’s efforts. If a country can meet both criteria, the official said, then “it’s more important to have them in than have them out.”

“Arbitrarily keeping the regime at its current size is not in interest of the regime,” the U.S. official said.