Emerging dual-use technologies in the life sciences : [electronic resource] challenges and policy recommendations on export control / Mirko Himmel

"September 2019".

SIP1923

This policy paper addresses the challenges of regulating emerging dual-use technologies in the life sciences. Export control measures can be used as a key governance instrument to prevent the unwanted proliferation of dual- use technologies. However, emerging technologies present certain challenges for conventional export control mechanisms due to the rapid development of various technologies and uncertainties about their potential use. The paper describes key elements of the European Union export control system and provides examples of select dual-use technologies in the life sciences that challenge this system. Recommendations are made in order to improve current EU strategic export control.

The EU Non-Proliferation Consortium is a network of foreign policy institutions and research centres from across the EU engaged in political and security-related dialogue and discussion of measures to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems. The Consortium is managed jointly by SIPRI and three other institutes, in close cooperation with the representative of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The three institutes are the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique in Paris, the Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt (HSFK/PRIF), and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London.

The author is grateful to the anonymous reviewer and to the SIPRI Editorial and Publications Department for their invaluable comments.

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