Nuclear export controls update

Nuclear export controls are based on the guidelines issued by the Nuclear Suppliers Group international export control regime, whose membership includes 48 countries and the European Commission as observer. The NSG guidelines are published as IAEA INFCIRC/254, respectively Part 1 (Trigger List) and Part 2 (Dual-use list) and applied also by non-participating countries adhering to their principles. The NSG control lists are integrated in the dual-use control lists attached to the national laws and regulations of the participating countries, including the European Union. Moreover the NSG Trigger List is included into the Additional Protocol’s Annex II, which establishes the link between nuclear safeguards and export controls. Both the Trigger list and the Dual-use list have been fundamentally reviewed during a three- year’s exercise which has involved experts from all the Participating Governments. The paper will review the main results of this process, outlining the main changes introduced and commenting on the impact that these changes may have to exporters and adhering countries.