31.1.2019
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 30/11
(b) goods which, taking into account their design and technical features, present a material risk of use for torture or
other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Annex III shall not include:
(a) firearms controlled by Regulation (EU) No 258/2012;
(b) dual-use items controlled by Regulation (EC) No 428/2009;
(c) goods controlled in accordance with Common Position 2008/944/CFSP.
2.
Paragraph 1 shall not apply to exports to those territories of Member States which are both listed in Annex VI and
are not part of the customs territory of the Union, provided that the goods are used by an authority in charge of law
enforcement in both the country or territory of destination and the metropolitan part of the Member State to which
that territory belongs. Customs or other relevant authorities shall have the right to verify whether this condition is met
and may decide that, pending such verification, the export shall not take place.
3.
Paragraph 1 shall not apply to exports to third countries, provided that the goods are used by military or civil
personnel of a Member State, if such personnel is taking part in an EU or UN peace keeping or crisis management
operation in the third country concerned or in an operation based on agreements between Member States and third
countries in the field of defence. Customs and other relevant authorities shall have the right to verify whether this
condition is met. Pending such verification, the export shall not take place.
Article 12
Criteria for granting export authorisations
1.
Decisions on applications for authorisations in respect of the export of goods listed in Annex III shall be taken by
the competent authorities, taking into account all relevant considerations, including in particular whether an application
in respect of an essentially identical export has been dismissed by another Member State in the preceding three years
and considerations about intended end-use and the risk of diversion.
2.
The competent authority shall not grant any authorisation when there are reasonable grounds to believe that
goods listed in Annex III might be used for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,
including judicial corporal punishment, by a law enforcement authority or any natural or legal person in a third country.
The competent authority shall take into account:
(a) available international court judgements;
(b) findings of the competent bodies of the UN, the Council of Europe and the EU, and reports of the Council of
Europe's European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment
and of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Other relevant information, including available national court judgements, reports or other information prepared by
civil society organisations and information on restrictions on exports of goods listed in Annexes II and III applied by the
country of destination, may be taken into account.
3.
The rules laid down in the second and third subparagraphs shall apply to the verification of the intended end-use
and the risk of diversion.
If the manufacturer of goods listed in point 3.2 or 3.3 of Annex III requests an authorisation for exporting such goods
to a distributor, the competent authority shall make an assessment of the contractual arrangements made by the
manufacturer and the distributor and of the measures that they are taking to ensure that these goods and, if applicable,
the products in which they will be incorporated will not be used for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment.
If an authorisation is requested for exporting goods listed in point 3.2 or 3.3 of Annex III to an end-user, the competent
authority may, when assessing the risk of diversion, take into account the contractual arrangements that apply and the
end-use statement signed by the end-user, if such a statement is provided. If no end-use statement is provided, it shall be
up to the exporter to demonstrate who will be the end-user and what use will be made of the goods. If the exporter
fails to provide sufficient information on the end-user and the end-use, the competent authority shall be deemed to have
reasonable grounds to believe that the goods might be used for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
or punishment.
4.
In addition to the criteria set out in paragraph 1, when assessing an application for a global authorisation, the
competent authority shall take into consideration the application by the exporter of proportionate and adequate means
and procedures to ensure compliance with the provisions and objectives of this Regulation and with the terms and
conditions of the authorisation.