Export of dual-use items to the United Kingdom in 2021

The transition period for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union will end at the turn of the year. Starting on 1 January 2021, dual-use exports from Finland and other EU Member States to the UK will be subject to an export authorisation.

From 1 January 2021 onward, the European Union General Export Authorisation EU001 will apply to export of dual-use items from Finland and other EU Member States to the UK. Thus the UK will be among the countries to which the general authorisation (EU001) already applies, that is, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the United States.

Using the general authorisation requires that the exporter complies with the conditions and requirements set out in the text of the Union General Export Authorisation. If the conditions are not met, the exporter must apply for an individual export authorisation.

In Finland, exporters using a general authorisation must submit a notification of the use of the authorisation in the Foreign Ministry’s E-services within 30 days from conducting the export transaction.

As an exception to the above, the situation will remain unchanged for Northern Ireland. In export controls of dual-use items, the rules applied for exports from Finland and other EU Member States to Northern Ireland will remain unchanged after the end of the transition period, that is, the same rules as will be applied as are used in the EU’s internal market.

Exporters should note that as concerns dual-use items, the UK covers only England, Scotland and Wales.

In the control of dual-use items, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are treated as third countries. Additionally, as export destinations of dual-use items, British overseas territories have been and continue to be third countries, to which the Union General Export Authorisation EU001 does not apply.