Council of the 
 
 
 European Union 
   
 
Brussels, 2 June 2023 
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'I' ITEM NOTE 
From: 
Presidency/General Secretariat of the Council 
To: 
Permanent Representatives Committee (Part 2) 
Subject: 
Draft revised Mandate of the Working Party on Dual-Use Goods - Approval 
 
 
 
1.  The Council's Working Party on Dual-Use Goods (DUWP) was set up more than 30 years 
ago, with a view to increase the coordination and convergence of Member States’ export 
controls of dual-use goods and technologies 1. 
 
2.  The recent revision of the EU Dual-Use Regulation2, which sheds light on developments in 
dual-use technology, and current economical and political circumstances has motivated the 
Working Party on Dual-Use Goods to revise and streamline its mandate. 
 
3.  In light of the above, the Presidency launched a review process of the DUWP mandate on 
19 January 2023. On the basis of a Presidency draft text, the DUWP examined its revised 
mandate at a number of meetings.  
                                                 
1 4882/92 
2 Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 setting up a 
Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use 
items (recast), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02021R0821-20230112 
 
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4.  On 31 May 2023, DUWP Delegates agreed on a consolidated text for the revised draft 
mandate. 
 
5.  The Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) is therefore invited to approve the 
draft revised mandate of the Working Party of Dual-Use Goods, as set out in the Annex to 
this note. 
 
 
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ANNEX 
Working Party on Dual-Use Goods 
C.23 
Code 
The Working Party on Dual-Use Goods operates under: 
Council 
☐  General affairs 
configuration 
☒  Foreign affairs 
☐  Economic and financial affairs3 
☐  Justice and home affairs4 
☐  Employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs 
☐  Competitiveness (internal market, industry, research and space)5 
☐  Transport, telecommunications and energy 
☐  Agriculture and fisheries 
☐  Environment 
☐  Education, youth, culture and sport6 
Non applicable 
Sub-areas or 
 
subgroups 
(if applicable) 
Policy areas 
Under the authority of Coreper7, the Working Party is responsible for EU work 
in the area of dual-use controls. 
This work shall be carried out in conformity with the relevant international 
obligations and commitments that EUMS, and where applicable, the Union, 
have accepted, mainly regarding non-proliferation, regional peace, security and 
stability and respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. 
In particular, the Working Party will, respecting the division of competences:  
-  Focus on work relating to and resulting from the EU Dual-use 
Regulation, as it evolves in subsequent recasts, including exchange on 
policy, best practice, and information sharing and dual-use items. 
-  Take into account the linkages of the existing multilateral export control 
regimes to the EU Dual-Use Regulation.  
-  Provide policy guidance in the area of dual-use controls. 
                                                 
3 Including budget  
4 Including civil protection  
5 Including tourism  
6 Including Audio-visual affairs 
7 In accordance with Article 240(1) TFEU and the Council’s Rules of Procedure 
 
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-  Maintain and develop dialogue and cooperation with third countries in 
the field of dual-use controls.  
-  Where appropriate, provide technical guidance, including on restrictive 
measures, in a transparent manner and acknowledging the distinct legal 
and other features of the respective frameworks 
Type of work 
The Working Party is mainly in charge of the following: (if applicable): 
☒  Work on Union legal acts (i.e. legislative acts and other legal acts)  
☒  Policy preparation 
 
In particular, the Working Party is in charge of:  
☒  legislative act(s): 
 ☒  other Union legal acts: 
 
☒  external documents or instruments: 
 ☐  policy document(s): 
☒  other: 
Supporting and contributing to the European Commission work on 
Guidelines in accordance with the EU Regulation on Dual-Use items, and 
related activities. 
The Working Party is chaired by:  
Chairing 
☒  the six-monthly Presidency 
arrangement 
☐  a representative of the High Representative 
☐  other, namely:  
 
-  Date of establishment:  1992 
Observations  
-  Date of revision of the mandate: 2023 
-  The Working Party can meet in a secured environment and can 
deal with classified information up to EU SECRET level. 
 
Main links with other Working Parties:  
- Working Party on Non-Proliferation and Arms Exports (CONOP and 
COARM); 
- Working Party on Law Enforcement (Customs) on enforcement of the dual-use 
framework; cross reference 
- Working Party on Trade Questions, regarding trade and export control 
instruments; cross reference 
- Relevant geographical Council WPs regarding restrictive measures and on 
dual-use export control 
- Foreign Relations Counsellors Working Party (C.1), regarding technical 
comments on dual-use aspects of restrictive measures 
 
 
 
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