For reasons linked to the maintaining of the international security, notably in assuring that the weapons of mass-destruction, be they nuclear, radiological, bacteriological or chemical, as well as their means of delivery do not proliferate, it is now widely acknowledged in the international community that the commerce may be and must be, in some cases, constrained. The so-called "dual-use" goods, which can be used for peaceful or non-peaceful purposes, are subjected to such trade restrictions.
The regulations which rule this specific trade, at international, regional or national level, seeks to ensure that the needs of legitimate economic activities are adequately balanced with the requirements of the international security.
The authors hereby browse and present in the form of a comprehensive handbook the different levels of decision, the political and legal instruments in the hands of the authorities, the mechanisms aimed at balancing trade and security and the claims and challenges for the respective actors of this area of strategic importance.
Reference:
Quentin Michel, Sylvain Paile, Maryna Tsukanova, Andrea Viski, Controlling the Trade of the Dual-Use Items, A Handbook, Brussels, P.I.E. Peter Lang, Coll. Non-Proliferation & Security, No. 9, 2013.