Guidance on export-controlled chemicals

Chemicals play a key role in our lives but if mishandled may also pose threats to health and security of the citizens. Many chemicals of daily industrial or personal use are also precursors of chemical weapons, or explosives.

A newly published handbook (edition 2021) incorporates many more chemicals and references linked to the Chemical Weapons Convention, hazardous chemicals, chemicals included in the anti-torture regulations plus other included in the restrictive measures against Iran and DPRK. It contains a a detailed mapping of around 1800 chemicals subject to export controls (restrictions, or prohibitions under sanctions) because of their inclusion in various EU regulations or the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty. Each chemical is correlated with other data of interest, besides its chemical name: CAS number, reference codes, EU legislation of reference and the 8-digits-code used for Customs declaration purposes.

The handbook helps the users to improve their export compliance by limiting the risk of mistakes and penalties by orienting themselves within the following collection of export regulations in force:

• Dual-use regulation, (EC) No 428/2009

• The Chemical Weapons Convention (International treaty)

• Chemicals with military applications, 2008/944/CFSP

• Hazardous chemicals, (EU) No 649/2012

• Chemicals included in the anti-torture regulation, (EU) No 2019/125

• Chemicals subject to sanctions for certain countries (Syria, DPRK and Iran)

• Chemical precursors of explosives, (EU) No 2019/1148

• Chemical precursors of psychotropic and narcotic substances, (EC) No 111/2005

Source: Arnes Novau, X. and Sevini, F., Export Control Handbook for Chemicals (2021 edition), EUR 29879 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2021, ISBN 978-92-76-36153-4, doi:10.2760/993354, JRC124421.