Let’s work together

Export control systems are complex by nature. They involve many national stakeholders. A typical national export controlapparatus requires the cooperation of between seven and 15 governmental ministries, services and agencies, each having its own mandate, constraints and work culture. But export control cannot be seen from a purely national perspective. Export control’s ultimate purpose, overall efficacy, and legal basis are genuinely international. International instruments and bodies, such as Resolution 1540 and its committee, or the various multilateral export control regimes, provide some guidance and opportunities for cooperation. It is, however, far from sufficient for addressing all the cooperation challenges at the national and international levels. Recognising this important need for cooperation, the Nuclear Security Unit of the European Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, organised in March 2015, a three-day innovative EU export control simulation exercise with operatives of 11 Member States, involving standard work processes as well as specific fraud patterns.