Notice to Exporters 2016/08: Changes to training courses

The Export Control Training Bulletin of courses, January to June 2016 has been revised:

    • Making better licence applications courses on 17 March and 21 April have been cancelled
    • A new combined dual-use and military control list classification course has been added (17 March, Birmingham).
    • Some courses in February and March are now fully booked.

The Events page has been appropriately updated.

Links:

Notice to Exporters 2016/08

Export Control Training Bulletin

 

Notice to Exporters 2016/06: License updates, including dual-use licenses

Following changes to the EU dual-use list, the following Open General Export Licences have been amended and republished:

Open general export licence (export for repair/replacement under warranty: dual-use items)

Open general export licence (export after repair/replacement under warranty: dual-use items)

Open general export licence (dual-use items: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)

Open general export licence (technology for dual-use items)

Open general export licence (X)

Open general export licence (Turkey)

Open general export licence (export after exhibition: dual-use items)

For more details see Notice to Exporters: 2015/30.

Additionally, The Open General Trade Control Licence (Trade and Transportation: Small Arms and Light Weapons) has been updated to reflect the expansion of the list of items subject to Category B of the trade controls (trafficking and brokering):

Open general trade control licence (trade and transportation: small arms and light weapons)

The OGEL (Vintage Aircraft) has been updated to remove ML10b from the goods schedule, to update the text to refer to the Arts Council and to extend the time-period by which goods must be exported under this licence to six months (rather than three months) for consistency purposes.

Open general export licence (vintage aircraft)

Link:

Notice to Exporters 2016/06

 

Notice to Exporters 2016/07: Seats for MOD Form seminar still available

Notice to Exporters 2016/07: places still available for MOD Form 680 Seminar, 11 February 2016
25 January 2016

There are still places available at the MOD Form 680 Seminar on 11 February 2016.

Following the success of the first event, held in February 2015, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is holding a second seminar on the MOD Form 680 process.

Expert presentations will cover all aspects of MOD Form 680. The planned changes to the Form 680 process, which will be communicated to industry through a future Notice to Exporters, will also be covered in detail.

During the extended lunch break there will be a networking village, with stands and representatives from all areas of the export community.

The event will be held at the Westminster Conference Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET from 8.30am to 4pm. The cost per delegate is £75.00, which includes lunch and refreshments.

Download the application form and programme for this event and read more more on MOD Form 680.

Link:

Notice to Exporters 2016/07

 

January 18, 2016: Notice to Exporters 2016/05 – the end of the Iran sanctions, export control style

Notice to Exporters: 2016/05: EU ends economic and financial nuclear-related sanctions against Iran
18 January 2016

On 16 January 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed to the UN Security Council that Iran has taken all measures laid out in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), agreed by E3 + 3 (UK, France Germany, US, Russia and China) and Islamic Republic of Iran, to ensure that Iran’s nuclear programme is entirely peaceful in nature. This date is commonly known as Implementation Day. Consequently, all EU economic and financial sanctions made in connection with the Iranian nuclear programme have been lifted.

Read the Foreign Secretary’s statement on the implementation of the nuclear deal.

US nuclear-related financial and economic secondary financial and economic sanctions are also suspended.

This means that the following range of activities and associated services are now permitted as of Implementation Day:

i) Financial, banking and insurance measures

    • Transfers of funds between EU persons, entities or bodies, including EU financial and credit institutions, and non-listed Iranian persons, entities or bodies including Iranian financial and credit institutions.
    • The opening of branches, subsidiaries or representative offices of non-listed Iranian banks in Member States.
    • Provision of export credit, guarantees or insurance and other financial support.

Post Implementation day, UK Export Finance (UKEF) will reintroduce cover for Iran in Pounds Sterling and Euros. Read further details.

ii) Oil, gas and petrochemical sectors

    • Import, purchase, swap and transport of crude oil and petroleum products from Iran.
    • Export (by EU persons) of oil, gas and petrochemical equipment or technology; provision of related technical assistance including training to any Iranian person, in or outside Iran, or for use in Iran.
    • Investment in Iranian sectors of oil, gas, and petrochemicals.

iii) Shipping, shipbuilding and transport sectors (N.B. See below – the EU arms embargo and UK national controls on marine vessels and equipment to Iran both remain.)

    • Sale, supply transfer or export of naval equipment and technology for ship building, maintenance or refit to Iran or to any Iranian person engaged in the sector.
    • Design construction – or participation in the design and construction – of cargo vessels and oil tankers for Iran or Iranian persons.
    • Provision of vessels; designed or used for the transport or storage of oil and petrochemical products to Iranian persons entities or bodies.
    • Provision of flagging and classification services.
    • Cargo flights operated by Iranian carriers or originating from Iran have access to EU Members States airport.
    • Cargos to and from Iran of previously prohibited items will no longer be subject to inspection seizure and disposal by EU Member States.

iv) Sale, supply, purchase, transfer, export or transfer of gold, other precious metals and diamonds to/from or for the Government of Iran, its public bodies, corporations and agencies or the Central Bank of Iran.

    • Provision of related brokering, finance and security services.
    • Delivery of newly printed or minted banknotes and coinage for the Central Bank of Iran.

The following items are no longer prohibited from sale, supply, transfer or export to any Iranian person entity or body or for use in Iran, but subject to a UK export licence as of Implementation Day:

    • Nuclear-related goods and technology as specified on the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Trigger List and NSG Dual-Use List and listed in Annex I of Council Regulation (EU) 267/2012. The UK must seek approval from the UN Security Council through the ‘Procurement Channel’ before granting a licence for these items. The Export Control Organisation will issue guidance on the Procurement Channel in due course.
    • Nuclear-related goods and technology as listed in Annex II of Council Regulation (EU) 267/2012.
    • Metals: certain graphite and raw or semi-finished metals.
    • Enterprise Resource Planning software, including updates.
    • Provision of technical assistance, brokering services, or financial assistance related to any of the above.

As of Implementation Day, certain persons and entities are delisted from UN listings and EU autonomous listings. Consequently, these persons are no longer subject to an asset freeze, or the prohibition to make funds available and visa ban.

Read an EU information note with more detail on permitted activities.

In the event of Iran not meeting the ongoing commitments of the JCPOA, the EU will reintroduce sanctions (‘EU snapback’). However, all parties in the JCPOA process have committed to ensuring that the JCPOA is successfully implemented.

Measures and sanctions which are outside the scope of JCPOA and will remain in place post Implementation Day:

    • The EU Arms embargo and missile technology sanctions and restrictions will remain in place until Transition Day (18 October 2023), as well as continuing restrictive measures on certain individuals.
    • Sanctions imposed by the EU in view of the human rights situation in Iran, support for terrorism and other grounds, will remain in place.
    • Iranian persons listed under EU terrorism and Syria sanctions regimes or any other EU sanctions regime will continue to be subject to restrictive measures under these regimes.
    • For more information see the HM Treasury guidance relating to nuclear proliferation and human rights violations and please refer to the Treasury’s consolidated list which includes all Iranian individuals and entities listed under EU and UK sanctions regimes (including those listed for Counter Terrorism purposes or under the Syria regime).

Prior Authorisation by the Export Control Organisation, including the Procurement Channel:

    • As of Implementation Day, proliferation-related restrictions including nuclear transfers and activities and associated services are subject to prior authorisation. The list of goods and technologies subject to prior authorisation are in Annex I and Annex II of Council Regulation 267/2012 (as amended).

UK National Controls on Iran (applying to civil aerospace and marine, for example) also remain in place.

Read the information note published by the EU.

Link:

Notice to Exporters 2016/05

 

Notice to Exporters 2016/04: SPIRE design workshop full, but you can call in

ECO’s events are very popular…

Notice to Exporters 2016/04: join the workshop on detailed designs for SPIRE replacement via conference call
15 January 2016

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) is leading a project to create a cross-government digital platform for import and export licensing. This is intended to replace the current SPIRE system.

In a recent Notice to Exporters, we invited you to attend a workshop on 25 January to give your feedback and help to create a service that will provide the greatest benefit to industry.

This event is now full, but you can still participate via conference-call facilities for the main presentations and the initial Q&A. (Following this there will be breakout sessions for more detailed Q&A, which it will not be possible to join via phone.)

Action to take:

    • Email eco.help@bis.gsi.gov.uk to register your interest and receive further details.
    • Put ‘Conference call on detailed designs for SPIRE replacement, Monday 25 January’ in the subject line of your email.

We can only accommodate a limited number of conference call lines at this event, so please register your interest as soon as possible.

Link:

Notice to Exporters 2016/04

 

Notice to Exporters 2016/03: Russian sanctions extended till 31 July

ECO Notice to Exporters 2014/22 outlined the EU economic sanctions introduced in response to Russia’s destabilising role in Eastern Ukraine. The measures were contained in Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP, and the 22 June 2015 amendment to the Council Decision linked the restrictive measures to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements.

On 21 December 2015, the EU Council extended the economic sanctions on the basis that the Minsk agreements would not be completely implemented by 31 December 2015.

The new amendment extends the restrictive measures until 31 July 2016, to enable the Council to further assess the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

As a reminder to exporters, the restrictive measures include:

    • An arms embargo.
    • A prohibition on supply of dual-use items which are or may be intended for military end-use or for a military end-user in Russia.
    • Requirement of an export licence for the export of certain energy-related equipment and technology to Russia (or any other country if such equipment or technology is for use in Russia).

Link:

Notice to Exporters 2016/03

 

January 5, 2016: Notice to Exporters 2016/2

Notice to Exporters 2016/02: Invitation – workshop on detailed designs for SPIRE replacement, 25 January
5 January 2016

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) is leading a project to create a cross-government digital platform for import and export licensing. This is intended to replace the current SPIRE system.

We plan to present our initial findings as to what the platform could look like on 13 January. Additionally, we would appreciate your views in a second workshop on our ‘alpha’ service, and initial design ideas for the new service.

Accordingly, we now invite you to attend the second workshop to give your feedback and help to create a service that will provide the greatest benefit to industry.

Date: Monday 25 January 2016

Time: 1.30pm arrive for 2pm start, Q&A at 3pm, event closes at 3.30pm

Location: ADS, Salamanca Square, 9 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SP

Map and directions

Places will be limited, so please confirm that you would like to attend by emailing eco.help@bis.gsi.gov.uk with ‘New Export & Import Licensing System, Alpha designs – Monday 25 January’ in the subject line. Please also add the business sector in which you operate in the body of the email.

Thank you.

Edward Bell

Head of Export Control Organisation

Link:

Notice to Exporters 2016/2