The Australia Group is an informal group to help member countries identify those exports which need to be controlled so as not to contribute to the spread of chemical and biological weapons.
It has 42 members including the European Commission, all 28 member states of the European Union, Ukraine, and Argentina.
Members of the group maintain export controls on a uniform list of 54 compounds, including several that are not prohibited for export under the Chemical Weapons Convention, but can be used in the manufacture of chemical weapons.
The group follows two policies- ―no undercut‖ and ―catch all‖.
The "no-undercut" requirement, states that any member of the group considering making an export to another state that had already been denied an export by any other member of the group must first consult with that member state before approving the export.
"Catch-all" provision, which requires member states to halt all exports that could be used by importers in chemical or biological weapons programs, regardless of whether the export is on the group's control lists.
Members meet every year in Paris.
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