Division 4.1 Project objectives

The main objective is to provide technical assistance to a number of beneficiaries which have demonstrated their willingness to develop their standards and practices regarding arms export control. To do so, the activities to be undertaken will pay attention to the status of the beneficiaries, in particular regarding:

• the possible membership of, or membership application for, international export control regimes relating to the transfer of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies,

• the candidatures for membership of the Union and whether the beneficiaries are official candidates or potential candidates,

• the position regarding the ATT.

Where the beneficiaries addressed are only signatory to the ATT, the activities should — where feasible — seek to better ascertain the obstacles to ratification, in particular when those obstacles are of a technical nature and related to gaps or needs in implementation capacities. Where relevant, possible Union support under Decision 2013/768/CFSP should be promoted. Where the beneficiaries addressed have taken no steps towards signature and ratification of, and accession to, the ATT, the activities should promote accession to the ATT, possibly with the support of other beneficiaries that have ratified the ATT.

Another complementary objective is to sensitise a number of beneficiaries to arms diversion risk-assessment and arms diversion mitigation, both from the exporting and importing perspectives. Activities driven by this complementary objective will notably enable to relate arms transfer controls to other projects that aim at preventing arms diversion such as physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) activities and activities supporting the traceability of arms and ammunition.