Export control

National export control of conventional military goods

The legal basis for export control of military goods by the Austrian authorities are the Foreign Trade Act 2011 (BGBl I 26/2011 as amended by BGBl I Nr. 37/2013) and – as special law for war material – the Act on War Material (BGBl I 540/1977 as amended by BGBl I 161/2013). The military goods which are controlled are defined on the one hand by the Austrian Regulation on Foreign Trade along with its addenda, which in turn are based on the „Wassenaar control list“ and the EU-list of military goods, and the Austrian Regulation on War Material on the other hand.

The decision on licence applications according to the Foreign Trade Act is taken by the Ministry for the Science, Research and Economy; on licence applications according to the War Material Act, decisions are taken by the Ministry of the Interior in accordance with the Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs and after consulting the Ministry for Defence and Sport. The Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs is involved in the application of both laws by evaluating licence applications according to foreign policy aspects and international law (§ 24(1) in conjunction with 5(1) Foreign Trade Act and § 3(1) Act on War Material) and under reference to Common Position 2008/944/CFSP (of 8 December 2008). All relevant EU-documents including the EU-reports for individual years are available on the EEAS homepage.