Division 6 Implementing entity

The implementation of this Council Decision will be entrusted to BAFA. BAFA will, where appropriate, partner with Member States' export control agencies, relevant regional and international organisations, think tanks, research institutes and NGOs.

BAFA has a leading experience in the provision of transfer control assistance and outreach activities. It has developed such experience in all the relevant fields of strategic transfer control, addressing CBRN-related, dual-use goods and arms areas.

With regard to arms transfer control assistance and outreach, BAFA successfully completed the implementation of Decision 2009/1012/CFSP. BAFA is now in charge of the implementation of Decision 2012/711/CFSP, that builds upon Decision 2009/1012/CFSP and aims at strengthening the arms export control systems of beneficiary countries towards greater transparency and responsibility along the lines of the Union framework established under Common Position 2008/944/CFSP.

With regard to dual-use and CBRN-related goods, BAFA is the implementing agency of the current programme on dual-use export control assistance and outreach funded by the Instrument for Stability and, in this capacity, has gained an in-depth knowledge of the transfer control systems of countries covered by that programme. Such knowledge is being enhanced with the progressive implementation of transfer control-related projects under the Instrument for Stability that involve BAFA, such as the CBRN Centre of Excellence Initiative.

The overall effect is that BAFA is uniquely placed to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the transfer control systems of countries that might be beneficiary of ATT implementation support activities provided for by this Decision. It is thus most able to facilitate synergies between the various assistance programmes and to avoid unnecessary duplication.

Since the laws, administrative procedures, enforcement resources and agencies governing of dual-use export control overlap to a large extent with those governing conventional arms export control, a key challenge for the ATT-related assistance activities will be to take into account assistance already provided in the dual-use and CBRN risk mitigation areas. Selecting BAFA contributes to ensuring that ATT-related assistance appropriately supplements assistance already provided under the existing dual-use, CBRN risk mitigation and arms export control assistance programmes.