Notice to exporters 2018/04: Export Control Order 2008 amended and 4 four OGELs

6 March 2018

The export control joint unit (ECJU) has amended the Export Control Order 2008. Changes have been made to article 2 (Interpretation) and Schedule 2 of the order. Four open general export licences have been amended accordingly.

The new order, The Export Control (Amendment) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018 No.165) comes into force on 5 March 2018. The amending order makes a small number of changes to schedule 2 to the main order, which lists the military goods, software and technology subject to export controls. These changes reflect amendments made to the EU Common Military List following agreement to alter this list in the international export control regime known as the Wassenaar Arrangement.

These changes need to be incorporated into UK legislation to reflect the UK commitment to the international non-proliferation regime. The ECJU will also update the consolidated control list of strategic military and dual-use items that require export authorisation.

The changes are:

• the entry for ‘adapted for use in war’ is deleted and a new definition of biological agents has been agreed
• a new heading for ML7 (chemical and biological agents)
• a new substituted entry for ML7.a.
• a new entry inserted as ML8.a.41
• a new substituted entry for ML8.c.3.
• a new entry and technical notes inserted as ML8.h (reactive materials)

In article 2 (Interpretation) the definition of ‘information security items’ has been removed. Changes made by the Export Control (Amendment) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/85) have made this definition redundant.

For more information, visit www.gov.uk.

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