Are you exporting PPE outside the EU?

Introduction

As of 26 April Regulation (2020/568) regarding exporting Personal Protective Equipment to outside the EU applies. The regulation will be in force for a period of 30 days. As a result a export authorisation is required. 

Summary

Why?

The European Commission has published on 23 April, a new EU regulation which regulates the export outside the EU of certain PPE (see below the list of PPE). This regulation follows the earlier decision of 15 March 2020: regulation (EU) 2020/402, making the exportation of certain products subject to the production of an export authorisation. 

The EC is working hard on creating a Clearing House, including for PPE. This clearing house has the objective to coordinate efforts to match supply and demand in the EU of PPE, and facilitate an adequate functioning of the internal market. However, there remains a gap between demand and supply within the Union, in particular concerning certain types of PPE, which are vital to prevent the spreading of the COVID-19 disease and treat the patients. 

An export authorisation system should remedy or prevent a situation of a shortage of essential products within the borders of the Union. The UK should in this matter be considered as a Member State (see countries below for the full list).  

The full tekst of the Regulation (EU) 2020/568 can be read here (opens in new window).

The Regulation applies to the following products:

Protective spectacles and visors 

• Protection against potentially infectious material, 
• Encircling the eyes and surroundings, 
• Compatible with different models of filtering facepiece (FFP) masks
  and facial masks, 
• Transparent lens, 
• Reusable (can be cleaned and disinfected) or single-use items, 
• Can seal the skin of the face.

Mouth-nose-protection equipment 

• Masks for the protection of the wearer against potentially infectious material or to prevent the wearer from spreading such material, 
• Reusable (can be cleaned and disinfected) or single-use items, 
• Can include a face shield, 
• Whether or not equipped with a replaceable filter.

Protective garments

• Non-sterile garment (e.g. gown, suit) for the protection of the wearer against potentially infectious material or to prevent the wearer from spreading such material. 
• Reusable (can be clean and disinfected) or single-use items.  

Countries to which this no export authorisation is required:

• Greenland, 
• New Caledonia and Dependencies, 
• French Polynesia, 
• French Southern and Antarctic Territories, 
• Wallis and Futuna Islands, 
• Mayotte, 
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon, 
• Aruba, 
• Netherlands Antilles:
  — Bonaire,
  — Curaçao,
  — Saba,
  — Sint Eustatius, — Sint Maarten, 
• Anguilla, 
• Cayman Islands, 
• Falkland Islands, 
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, 
• Montserrat, 
• Pitcairn, 
• Saint Helena and Dependencies, 
• British Antarctic Territory, 
• British Indian Ocean Territory, 
• Turks and Caicos Islands, 
• British Virgin Islands, 
• —  Bermuda
• Republic of Albania, 
• Andorra, 
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
• The Faeroe Islands, 
• Gibraltar, 
• The Republic of Iceland, 
• Kosovo (*), 
• The Principality of Liechtenstein, 
• Montenegro, 
• The Kingdom of Norway, 
• The Republic of North Macedonia, 
• The Republic of San Marino, 
• Serbia, 
• The Swiss confederation, 
• Vatican City State

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