31.1.2019
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 30/7
and trade of equipment which is designed to inflict torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment. It is up to the Member States to impose and enforce the necessary restrictions on the use and
production of such equipment.
(52)
The Commission and the Member States should inform each other of the measures taken under this Regulation
and of other relevant information at their disposal in connection with this Regulation.
(53)
Member States should lay down rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this
Regulation and ensure that they are implemented. Those penalties should be effective, proportionate and
dissuasive,
HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
CHAPTER I
SUBJECT MATTER AND DEFINITIONS
Article 1
Subject matter
This Regulation lays down Union rules governing trade with third countries in goods that could be used for the purpose
of capital punishment or for the purpose of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and
rules governing the supply of brokering services, technical assistance, training and advertising related to such goods.
Article 2
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation:
(a) ‘torture’ means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on
a person for such purposes as obtaining from that person or from a third person information or a confession,
punishing that person for an act that either that person or a third person has committed or is suspected of having
committed, or intimidating or coercing that person or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of
any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted either by or at the instigation of, or with the consent or
acquiescence of, a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not, however, include pain or
suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, lawful penalties. Capital punishment is not deemed a lawful
penalty under any circumstances;
(b) ‘other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’ means any act by which pain or suffering attaining
a minimum level of severity, whether physical or mental, is inflicted on a person, when such pain or suffering is
inflicted either by or at the instigation of, or with the consent or acquiescence of, a public official or other person
acting in an official capacity. It does not, however, include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or
incidental to, lawful penalties. Capital punishment is not deemed a lawful penalty under any circumstances;
(c) ‘law enforcement authority’ means any authority responsible for preventing, detecting, investigating, combating and
punishing criminal offences, including, but not limited to, the police, any prosecutor, any judicial authority, any
public or private prison authority and, where appropriate, any of the state security forces and military authorities;
(d) ‘export’ means any departure of goods from the customs territory of the Union, including the departure of goods
that requires a customs declaration and the departure of goods after their storage in a free zone within the meaning
of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (13);
(e) ‘import’ means any entry of goods into the customs territory of the Union, including temporary storage, the placing
in a free zone, the placing under a special procedure and the release for free circulation within the meaning of
Regulation (EU) No 952/2013;
(f)
‘technical assistance’ means any technical support related to repairs, development, manufacture, testing,
maintenance, assembly or any other technical service, and may take forms such as instruction, advice, training,
transmission of working knowledge or skills or consulting services. Technical assistance includes verbal forms of
assistance and assistance provided by electronic means;
(13) Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code
(OJ L 269, 10.10.2013, p. 1).