EU Faces Scrutiny Over Surveillance Technology Exports to Rights Violators

• •Human Rights Watch reports ongoing EU surveillance technology exports to rights violators.
• •The 2021 Dual-Use Regulation is criticized for weak enforcement and oversight.
• •Specific cases include exports from Bulgaria to Azerbaijan and Poland to Rwanda.

A new report by Human Rights Watch reveals that the European Union has failed to effectively regulate the export of surveillance technology to countries with poor human rights records. Despite the introduction of the Dual-Use Regulation in 2021, which aimed to control such exports, the report highlights ongoing sales to governments accused of targeting journalists, activists, and other dissenters. The report cites examples of surveillance tools exported from Bulgaria to Azerbaijan and Poland to Rwanda, emphasizing weak oversight and limited transparency in the EU's enforcement of these regulations. Human Rights Watch's findings indicate that the reporting requirements for member states have not provided sufficient detail to assess the impact of these exports on human rights. The situation raises significant concerns about the EU's role in facilitating human rights abuses through its surveillance technology exports.