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On 28 September 2016, EU Commission published a proposal to reform the EC Dual-Use Regulation. Reacting to human rights violations facilitated by cyber technology during the Arab Spring, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission agreed in 2014 to review EU’s export control regime. With stricter export controls, the EU Commission aims for safeguarding human rights and ensuring sustainable trade. The current proposal thus includes sweeping amendments, adding cyber surveillance to the definition of dual-use products. However, some of the ideas for reforms could create significant problems for European industry, and research and development of high-tech products.

The Commission’s proposal raises several questions: How can we realign the need to ensure human rights with the need to ensure the competitiveness of European companies and jobs? What would the reforms mean for European companies in their day-to-day business? Are there alternatives to the instruments the Commission is proposing in order to protect human security and human rights? These are questions we would like to discuss with you at our next Trade Lunch.

This session will be moderated by Stefan Gehrold (Head of European Office, KAS) and Bernd Dittmann (Director BDI/BDA The German Business Representation).