Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 120 together.

My Department is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for Export Controls, including Controls on defence-related exports and exports of Dual-Use goods.

Controls on the export of Dual-use items are administered by my Department, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items.

In 2023 my Department received and issued 32 applications for individual dual-use authorisations for exports to Israel with a value of €70,376,677.

It is the practice of my Department to seek the geopolitical views of the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of all dual-use export applications. In that regard, they provide my officials with views under the eight assessment criteria set out in Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP – criterion two of which is “Respect for human rights in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country of international humanitarian law” and criterion three of which is "Internal situation in the country of final destination, as a function of the existence of tensions or armed conflicts".

Accordingly, when making their assessment of applications, my officials are furnished with up to date information which they take into account in the final risk assessment of all licence applications.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for Export Controls, including Controls on defence-related exports and exports of Dual-Use goods.

Controls on the export of Dual-use items are administered by my Department, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items.

In conducting assessments of applications for export licences, my officials carry out a series of checks to ensure, as far as possible, that the item to be exported will be used by the stated end-user for the stated end-use and will not be used for illicit purposes.

As part of their assessment, my officials seek the views of the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of all applications for export licences. Both my own Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs review all dual-use export licence applications against the eight assessment criteria set out in Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP – including “Respect for human rights in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country of international humanitarian law” and "Internal situation in the country of final destination, as a function of the existence of tensions or armed conflicts".

Accordingly, when making their assessment of applications, my officials are furnished with up to date information which they take into account in the final risk assessment of all licence applications.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for Export Controls, including Controls on defence-related exports and exports of Dual-Use goods.

Controls on the export of Dual-use items are administered by my Department, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items. The Regulation provides for a harmonised export controls system throughout the EU and sets out the criteria for the examination of applications.

In line with the Regulation my officials assess all applications against the eight assessment criteria set out in Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP – criterion two of which is “Respect for human rights in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country of international humanitarian law” and criterion three of which is "Internal situation in the country of final destination, as a function of the existence of tensions or armed conflicts".

In addition, my officials seek the geopolitical views of the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of all applications for export licences including those destined for Israeli end users.

Accordingly, the Department of Foreign Affairs raises relevant human rights considerations in respect of all export licence applications received from my Department, including those concerning dual-use exports to Israel, which are taken into account in the final risk assessment of any licence application.