Council Regulation (EC) No 1236/2005 (repealed)Show full title

CHAPTER III U.K. Goods that could be used for the purpose of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

Article 5 U.K. Export authorisation requirement

1. For any export of goods that could be used for the purpose of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, listed in Annex III, an authorisation shall be required, irrespective of the origin of such goods. However no authorisation shall be required for goods which only pass through the customs territory of the Community, namely those which are not assigned a customs-approved treatment or use other than the external transit procedure within Article 91 of Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92, including storage of non-Community goods in a free zone of control type I or a free warehouse.

2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to exports to those territories of Member States which are both listed in Annex IV and are not part of the customs territory of the Community, provided that the goods are used by an authority in charge of law enforcement in both the country or territory of destination and the metropolitan part of the Member State to which that territory belongs. Customs or other relevant authorities shall have the right to verify whether this condition is met and may decide that, pending such verification, the export shall not take place.

3. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to exports to third countries, provided that the goods are used by military or civil personnel of a Member State, if such personnel is taking part in an EU or UN peace keeping or crisis management operation in the third country concerned or in an operation based on agreements between Member States and third countries in the field of defence. Customs and other relevant authorities shall have the right to verify whether this condition is met. Pending such verification, the export shall not take place.

Article 6 U.K. Criteria for granting export authorisations

1. Decisions on applications for authorisation for the export of goods listed in Annex III shall be taken by the competent authority on a case by case basis, taking into account all relevant considerations, including in particular, whether an application for authorisation of an essentially identical export has been dismissed by another Member State in the preceding three years.

2. The competent authority shall not grant any authorisation when there are reasonable grounds to believe that goods listed in Annex III might be used for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including judicial corporal punishment, by a law enforcement authority or any natural or legal person in a third country.

The competent authority shall take into account:

• available international court judgements,

• findings of the competent bodies of the UN, the Council of Europe and the EU, and reports of the Council of Europe's European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment and of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Other relevant information, including available national court judgements, reports or other information prepared by civil society organisations and information on restrictions on exports of goods listed in Annexes II and III applied by the country of destination, may be taken into account.

Article 7 U.K. National measures

1. Notwithstanding the provisions in Articles 5 and 6, a Member State may adopt or maintain a prohibition on the export and import of leg irons, gang chains and portable electric shock devices.

2. A Member State may impose an authorisation requirement on the export of handcuffs which have an overall dimension including chains, measured from the outer edge of one cuff to the outer edge of the other cuff, exceeding 240 mm when locked. The Member State concerned shall apply Chapter III and IV to such handcuffs.

3. Member States shall notify the Commission of any measures adopted pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2. Existing measures shall be notified by 30 July 2006. Subsequent measures shall be notified before they enter into force.