Wassenaar Arrangement

 The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) with 41 participating states.

 It was established to contribute to regional and international security and stability by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies.

 It focuses primarily on the transparency of national export control regimes and not granting veto power to individual members over organizational decisions.

 A Secretariat for administering the agreement is located in Vienna, Austria.

 It is not a treaty, and therefore is not legally binding.

 Every six months member countries exchange information on deliveries of conventional arms to non-Wassenaar members that fall under eight broad weapons categories: battle tanks, armored combat vehicles (ACVs), large-caliber artillery, military aircraft, military helicopters, warships, missiles or missile systems, and small arms and light weapons.

 The People's Republic of China and Israel are not members, but they have aligned their export controls with Wassenaar lists.

 The Arrangement is open on a global and non-discriminatory basis to prospective adherents that comply with the agreed criteria.

 Admission of new members requires the consensus of all members.

 In December 2013, the list of export restricted technologies was amended to include internet-based surveillance systems.

 New technologies placed under the export control regime include "intrusion software"—software designed to defeat a computer or network's protective measures so as to extract data or information.