The European Commission has published a Staff Working Document (SWD(2026)162) dated 25 June 2026, presenting comprehensive data sets on export controls of dual-use items for the year 2024. The document accompanies the Commission's annual report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2021/821, which sets up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items. The data covers export authorisations by license type, item type, and destinations, including cyber-surveillance items and denials, and was collected with member states' assistance following Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/214, which provided guidelines for data gathering and processing.
The document comprises 19 sections summarizing export authorisation types, values, volumes, and enforcement details for individual, global, and general export authorisations across the EU. It provides a detailed statistical overview of the EU's dual-use trade control activities in 2024, offering insights into the volume and value of authorised exports, the types of items controlled, and the destinations involved. The data also includes information on denials of export authorisations, which is crucial for understanding the enforcement landscape. The publication of this data supports transparency and accountability in the EU's export control regime, which is a key component of the bloc's security and non-proliferation efforts.
The data sets are based on contributions from EU member states, following the methodology outlined in Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/214. This recommendation aimed to harmonise data collection and processing across member states to ensure comparability and completeness of the information. The 2024 data marks a continued effort to improve the quality and granularity of export control statistics, which are essential for policy evaluation and international cooperation.
The report covers various types of export authorisations, including individual, global, and general licences, and breaks down the data by item categories such as nuclear materials, chemicals, electronics, and cyber-surveillance items. It also provides information on the number of applications received, processed, and denied, as well as the value of exports under each licence type. The document highlights trends in dual-use trade and control measures, offering a basis for assessing the effectiveness of the EU's export control system.
Stakeholders affected by this publication include EU exporters of dual-use items, who can use the data to benchmark their own compliance efforts and understand market trends; national licensing authorities, which can compare their performance with other member states; and EU policymakers, who rely on such data to evaluate the need for regulatory adjustments. The document also serves as a reference for international partners and non-proliferation organisations monitoring EU export control practices.
The publication of the Staff Working Document is a routine annual exercise, but it gains significance as the EU continues to adapt its export control regime to evolving security challenges, including the rise of cyber-surveillance technologies and geopolitical tensions. The data will inform future policy discussions in the European Parliament and the Council, particularly regarding the scope of controls and the effectiveness of enforcement measures. No immediate legislative follow-up is expected, but the data may feed into the ongoing review of the dual-use regulation.