Industry and Security Bureau March 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is publishing this final rule to amend the chemical and biological weapons end-user/end- use controls in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Specifically, this final rule expands the country scope of the EAR restrictions on certain chemical and biological weapons end-uses to apply to exports and reexports of items subject to the EAR to any destination, worldwide. Prior to the publication of this rule, such restrictions applied only to exports and reexports of items subject to the EAR to certain countries of concern for chemical and/or biological reasons. The amendments are consistent with the ``catch-all'' provisions in the Australia Group's (AG) ``Guidelines for Transfers of Sensitive Chemical or Biological Items.''

This final rule amends the Export Administration Regulations to update a fax number and to update the list of information collections. The Paperwork Collection List identifies the control numbers assigned to information collection requirements under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by the Office of Management and Budget pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act. This action makes editorial corrections and updates and is not intended to have a substantive effect on the rights or obligations of the public.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), including various entries on the Commerce Control List (CCL), to reflect changes to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex that were agreed to by MTCR member countries at the October 2004 Plenary in Seoul, South Korea, as well as the plenary decision to allow Bulgaria to become a member of the MTCR. In addition to these changes, this rule adds four entities located in Syria to the Entity List. The Entity List is a compilation of end- users that present an unacceptable risk of using or diverting certain items to activities related to weapons of mass destruction. BIS requires a license for most exports or reexports to these entities and maintains the Entity List to inform the public of these license requirements. Lastly, this rule revises the missile catch-all controls for Restrictions on Certain Rocket Systems, by clarifying that the general prohibition includes a license requirement for items that will be used, anywhere in the world except by governmental programs for nuclear weapons delivery of NPT Nuclear Weapons States that are also members of NATO, in ``the design, development, production or use of'' rocket systems or unmanned air vehicles, regardless of range capabilities, for the delivery of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. This is a clarification of revisions published November 8, 2004 (69 FR 64657).

This rule states BIS's licensing policy regarding transactions involving entities sanctioned by the State Department under three specified statutes, imposes a new license requirement for certain entities sanctioned by the State Department, and identifies one specific entity subject to this new license requirement, Tula Instrument Design Bureau of Russia.