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1. Decisions on applications for authorisations in respect of the export of goods listed in Annex III shall be taken by the competent authorities, taking into account all relevant considerations, including in particular whether an application in respect of an essentially identical export has been dismissed by another Member State in the preceding three years and considerations about intended end-use and the risk of diversion.

2. The competent authority shall not grant any authorisation when there are reasonable grounds to believe that goods listed in Annex III might be used for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including judicial corporal punishment, by a law enforcement authority or any natural or legal person in a third country. The competent authority shall take into account:

(a) available international court judgements;

(b) findings of the competent bodies of the UN, the Council of Europe and the EU, and reports of the Council of Europe's European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment and of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Other relevant information, including available national court judgements, reports or other information prepared by civil society organisations and information on restrictions on exports of goods listed in Annexes II and III applied by the country of destination, may be taken into account.

3. The rules laid down in the second and third subparagraphs shall apply to the verification of the intended end-use and the risk of diversion.

If the manufacturer of goods listed in point 3.2 or 3.3 of Annex III requests an authorisation for exporting such goods to a distributor, the competent authority shall make an assessment of the contractual arrangements made by the manufacturer and the distributor and of the measures that they are taking to ensure that these goods and, if applicable, the products in which they will be incorporated will not be used for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

If an authorisation is requested for exporting goods listed in point 3.2 or 3.3 of Annex III to an end-user, the competent authority may, when assessing the risk of diversion, take into account the contractual arrangements that apply and the end-use statement signed by the end-user, if such a statement is provided. If no end-use statement is provided, it shall be up to the exporter to demonstrate who will be the end-user and what use will be made of the goods. If the exporter fails to provide sufficient information on the end-user and the end-use, the competent authority shall be deemed to have reasonable grounds to believe that the goods might be used for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

4. In addition to the criteria set out in paragraph 1, when assessing an application for a global authorisation, the competent authority shall take into consideration the application by the exporter of proportionate and adequate means and procedures to ensure compliance with the provisions and objectives of this Regulation and with the terms and conditions of the authorisation.