Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014
394. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of dual-use licences and military-use licences issued for trade with Israel in the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; if he will provide descriptions of the products that were licensed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33781/14]
View answerMy Department is responsible for controls on the export of military items from Ireland. Under Irish law, military export licences have to be sought in respect of the goods and technology, and any components thereof, listed in the Annexe to the Control of Exports (Goods and Technology) Order, SI.216 of 2012 which reflects the EU Common Military List.
The EU Common Military List includes military goods and technology, and components for such items that should be licensed for export from the Union. Items which are classified as “military goods” from an export control perspective and which are exported from Ireland involve components rather than military equipment.
Eleven licences for the export of Military List items to Israel have been issued from 2011 to date. Details are provided as follows:
2011
Three licences for the export of Military List products to Israel were issued in 2011, to the total value of €6.138 million. Two licences were issued for Military List (ML) “category 6” items while one was issued for ML “category 22” items. The ML “category 6 “refers to “Ground Vehicles and Components”, while ML “category 22” refers to “Technology”. “Technology” is that which is “required for the development, production or use of items or components specified in the EU Common Military List”.
2012
One licence for the export of Military List products to Israel was issued in 2012. The value of the licence was €39,525 and it was issued for ML “category 6” items, i.e. “Ground Vehicles and Components”.
2013
Five licences for the export of Military List products to Israel were issued in 2013, to the total value of €119,971. Two licences were issued for ML “category 6” items while three were issued for ML “category 10” items. The ML “category 10” refers to “Aircraft, lighter-than-air vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles “UAVs”), aero-engines and aircraft equipment, related equipment, and components”.
2014
Two licences for the export of Military List products to Israel were issued during the first quarter of 2014, to the total value of €126,637. Both licences were issued for ML “category 6” items. No licences for the export of Military List products to Israel have been granted since the end of the first quarter of 2014.
It is important to recall that items which were classified as “military goods” from an export control perspective and which were exported from Ireland involved components for inclusion in, rather than finished military equipment. These components were generally exported to manufacturers in Israel before being sent to the final end-user in Israel.
My Department is also responsible for licensing those dual-use items controlled pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items. Summary data on dual-use licences issued from 2011 to date in respect of exports to Israel is provided below.
Individual dual-use licences issued in respect of exports to Israel
|
Year |
Dual-Use Category |
Number of Licences Issued |
Value of Licences €0 - €100,000 |
Value of Licences Above €100,000 |
|
2014 (to date) |
3 |
2 |
X |
|
|
5 |
10 |
X |
||
|
Total number of licences issued |
12 |
|||
|
2013 |
2 |
2 |
X |
|
|
5 |
12 |
X |
||
|
7 |
6 |
X |
||
|
Total issued |
20 |
|||
|
2012 |
2 |
1 |
X |
|
|
4 |
1 |
X |
||
|
5 |
18 |
X |
||
|
Total issued |
20 |
|||
|
2011 |
2 |
2 |
X |
|
|
3 |
1 |
X |
||
|
5 |
9 |
X |
||
|
Total issued |
12 |
The dual-use categories correspond to the product category classifications as set out in Annex I to the Dual-Use Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009, as amended):
Category 2: Materials Processing
Category 3: Electronics
Category 4: Computers
Category 5: Telecommunications and “information security”
Category 7: Navigation and avionics
Israel is also included as a destination on a proportion of the small number of global dual-use licences issued by my Department each year. These licences are issued subject to a number of strict conditions, such as a prohibition on their use for exports to military, police or State security forces end users. An application for an individual dual-use licence must be made for such exports.
While the term “dual-use” refers to those items that are normally used for civilian or commercial purposes but may also have a military application, the vast majority of dual-use licences issued by my Department are for commercial purposes.
My Department consults with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in respect of all military and dual-use export licence applications in respect of Israel. All applications for export licenses are very carefully assessed having regard to the end use and the end user and against well-established criteria. Applications for the export of Military List items are considered in the light of the spirit and objectives of the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports which seeks to safeguard, among other concerns, regional stability and human rights.
Finally, it is important to note that the figures provided above represent the maximum value which can be exported under the above export licences and not the value of the goods and technology actually exported under those licences.
