Ensure risk-based proportionality in export licences
Risk-based export licensing
The duration of export licences containing nuclear-related items should be increased to five years as standard, and consideration given to increasing this to ten years. There should be an adoption of a risk-based, proportionate approach to the level of information required as part of any application and record-keeping. This could mirror the risk-based approach adopted under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017. The overall aim of this should be to operate on a more generic basis, based on the actual risks involved.
Applications for exports of the same items to any entity which has previously been granted an export licence should be decided within 28 days. If amendments to the Export Control Order 2008 are needed to give effect to these recommendations, that should be considered at the earliest opportunity.
The ONR and EA should be granted ten year open licences which cover their regulatory activities in relation to its functions in collaborating with regulators.
The Export Controls Joint Unit (ECJU) should establish a dedicated point of contact for nuclear companies and government teams involved in strategic nuclear export licensing. This resource should have the capability to engage meaningfully with nuclear specific matters in order to efficiently process licences in this area.
Government Response: Export licence reform with five-year standard and risk-based approach
Five-year export licences are already being encouraged as standard, and ten-year licences are under consideration. ECJU will establish dedicated contacts for nuclear companies, and a 20-day processing target will be applied across the system. The Government is adopting the risk-based, proportionate approach the Taskforce recommended. This response addresses all major elements of R43, including the dedicated ECJU point of contact and streamlined processing timelines that were central to the original recommendation.
Primary owner updated to DBT
This page originally listed the ONR as primary owner. On this site we have tried to identify the primary owner from the order that organisations are listed in the report. After discussion with the ONR, it has been explained that government has subsequently advised that the Department for Business and Trade is leading on Recommendation 43, and so we have updated this on the tracker accordingly. This is because the changes proposed sit outside of ONR's vires and need to be performed by the relevant licensing authority. Export controls are administered principally by the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), with input sought from other governmental departments.
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Taskforce target: June 2026
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