Notice to Exporters 2012/38 - Publication of Registered Licence Holders of the Open General

Overview

1.The Export Control Organisation (ECO), part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has issued a new listing of companies registered to use the Open General Trade Control Licence (Maritime Anti-Piracy). This list is downloadable from:

2.ECO announced its intention to publically publish such a list when the licence was originally published in February 2012.

3.This listing will be updated periodically to include new registrations for the licence.

Background details about the maritime anti-piracy OGTCL

4.This specific Open General Trade Control Licence (or OGTCL) covers licensable trade activity related to the provision of maritime anti-piracy security. It allows, subject to certain conditions, the provision and approval of certain information, the transfer of common military and paramilitary equipment used in maritime security operations for protection against acts of piracy.

5.This licence was published in light of the efforts to combat piracy and security threats, as highlighted by the London Conference on Somalia held on 23 February 2012. For more information see:

6.The licence is published online at You can also download the licence from the export control pages of the Businesslink website at:

7.Background details are provided in Annex 2 below about how to register for the licence and what open licences are.

Contact Details

8.For further details of export and trade controls, please contact:

Export Control Organisation

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

1 Victoria Street

London SW1H 0ET

Tel: 020 7215 4594

Fax: 020 7215 2635

Email:

Website: and

SPIRE (Export Licensing Database):

This notice is for information purposes only and has no force in law. Please note that where legal advice is required exporters should make their own arrangements.

If the Notice is relevant to your exports, you are recommended to take appropriate action as necessary.

You are also advised to keep a copy of this notice for your compliance records.

24 August 2012
Export Control Organisation
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Registering for the Licence

1.As with other Open General Licences, companies will need to register for the licence on SPIRE ( and adhere to all of the conditions. Practical details about how to register (or de-register) for open licences is provided on SPIRE at

2.Upon registration you will be contacted and asked to provide the following information:

• Evidence that you are a signatory to the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Services Providers (
• Your standard operating procedures and your rules of engagement
• Your policy on the storage and disposal of firearms
• A list of third parties in each country who will have access to the controlled goods being transferred
• A list of the armouries you propose to use.

3.Once your information has been considered and approved, you will be notified and able to use the licence.

4.If you no longer need to use the licence, you can also de-register via SPIRE at (See guidance link above).

5.Holders of this licence will be subject to Compliance Audits conducted by the Export Control Organisation. For more details about Compliance and Enforcement of Export Controls see:

6.You will not be entitled to use this licence if you cannot meet all the specified terms and conditions (including those covering products and destinations). If this is the case and the goods are still controlled, you need to apply for a Standard Individual Trade Control Licence (SITCL) which can be applied for via SPIRE.

7.This licence is subject to amendment at any time by the ECO. You only need to register once for this particular licence, however you should ensure you keep a copy of the current (in force) licence for your records, in preparation for any compliance audits. As and when a licence is amended, you should also check that you can still fulfil all its terms and conditions.

8.To remain aware of licensing updates and amendments you are advised to register to receive our notices. See:

What are Open General Licences (OGLs)?

9.OGLs(including OGTCLs) are one of several different types of licences issued by theExport Control Organisation (ECO) for the export of so-called “strategic” goods (such as military items or products that can have both a civilian and military use). OGLs are available in the public domain and are generally available for goods that are still controlled for export reasons, but are of a less restricted nature.

Using an OGL might benefit your company by saving you time and money and removing the need to apply for a Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL).

You can find further details about the different types of licences issued by the ECO including a listing of all OGLs at:

10.When using an OGL you should also be aware of your export responsibilities. You should therefore be aware of your legal responsibilities and you are recommended to carefully read and understand each licence. Be aware that the title is only a guide and does not definitely indicate if you are able to use the licence. When considering if you might be able to use an OGL, you need to ask yourself the following four questions:

• Can I meet all the terms and conditions of the licence?
• Are the goods specified on the licence?
• Are the export destinations permitted by the licence?
• Can I fulfil all the record keeping requirements of the licence?

Further information is provided in the guidance available on the Businesslink website. See:

• An Introduction to Open General Licences (OGLs) -
• Compliance and enforcement of export controls -

You might also find it helpful to use the ECO’s OGEL Checker website. This is a database which allows you to check the terms and conditions of different OGELs depending on the rating of your product items (as per the Strategic Export Control Lists) and the planned destination of export. See:

Export Control OrganisationPage 124 August 2012

[1] Note that published Open General Trade Control and Transhipment Licences are NOT searchable on the OGEL Checker website