EU centralizes export controls, easing pressure on Dutch tech firms

The European Commission is taking over the enforcement of export controls on sensitive technologies with potential military applications, including chipmaking equipment and quantum components. The shift, announced last week, shields individual countries from geopolitical pressure and provides greater political cover for companies like ASML and ASM.

Up until now, export controls have been arranged internationally through multilateral agreements, primarily the Wassenaar Arrangement. Brussels is now bypassing that by assuming control and consolidating decision-making. Member states will still decide what goes on the export control list, but enforcement and licensing will be handled at the EU level.

This marks a “revolutionary” step in European tech sovereignty, MEP Bart Groothuis told Het Financieele Dagblad (link in Dutch). “If someone wants to complain about the list, The Hague can now say: ‘You need to talk to Brussels,’” Groothuis said.