Latvia, together with the other European Union Member States, has added artificial intelligence (AI), quantum and semiconductor technologies to the export control list. Those critical technologies have been added to the list with the aim of strengthening the EU’s economic security and preventing those technologies from being used for military applications outside the EU, for instance, in Russia, which could use them in its war against Ukraine.
Since 2022, EU Member States and their partner countries – the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia – have encouraged the addition of rapidly evolving critical technologies to export control lists. To prevent their re-export to third countries, the U.S. intends to introduce export restrictions to the EU for NVIDIA graphics processors needed in AI development. Latvia and the other EU Member States have actively collaborated to unilaterally strengthen export controls on those goods and promote trust between transatlantic partners.
An EU decision on the next steps for including those goods in Annex 1 to Regulation 2021/821 has been reached in the Working Party on Dual-Use Goods. All EU Member States have signed a joint political declaration. For Latvia, the EU declaration will be signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, on 22 May pledging Latvia’s commitment to strengthening global export controls and preventing the use of those technologies for military purposes.
Further information
- On 20 May 2025, the Cabinet considered the information report on this matter prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- At a Working Party meeting on 21 and 22 May, the EU informed the Participation States to the dual-use export control regime, or Wassenaar Arrangement, of the declaration;
- The Wassenaar Arrangement.