Questionnaire 
1.	What are the regional and/or national instruments or policies guiding your country for the regulation of trade in goods used for a) capital punishment b) torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment? Please provide examples. Which government department/agency is responsible for monitoring the implementation of such regulations/policies, if any? 
The trade in goods used for a) capital punishment b) torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is regulated in the Regulation (EU) 2019/125 of 16 January 2019 (Anti-Torture Regulation) concerning trade in certain goods, which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It is legally binding and directly applicable in all EU Member States.
The EU Regulation is the most important and widely implemented control regime of this type of goods in the world. 
The department /agency responsible for the implementation of the EU legislation is: 
In Greece, the Ministry of Development & Investments - Directorate for Trade Regimes and Defence Instruments, is the competent authority for the implementation of the Anti-Torture Regulation and more specifically is responsible for the legislative measures and adequate licensing procedure aiming to control or prohibit the import, export of the goods covered by the Regulation.

2.	Have there been any investigations, prosecutions and/ or convictions for breaches of national regulations on the trade in goods indicated in paragraph 8 of the introduction to this questionnaire? If so, please provide details. 
The national legislative measures in place include “effective, proportionate and dissuasive” penalties for breaching the Anti-Torture Regulation. More precisely, violations of the Regulation can result either in the cessation of business activity for up to 1 year, or in a fine of up to € 100 000. 
There is no statistical overview of investigations, prosecutions and / or convictions since in Greece no licensing Activity has occurred so far.  
3.	Do you agree with the proposed categorization of goods used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment indicated in paragraph 8 of the introduction to this questionnaire (see above)? If not, which categories would you propose? 
The following categories of goods are proposed:
i.	goods which have no practical use other than for the purpose of capital punishment, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, 

ii.	goods that could be used not only for the purpose of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, but also for legitimate purposes,

iii.	goods that could be used for the purpose of capital punishment (products which could be used for the execution of human beings by means of lethal injection).

4.	Please indicate whether you believe there should be an exhaustive list of goods under each category. If yes, should there be a mechanism for regular updating of the lists under each category? 
The list of goods under each of the three categories described above should be as exhaustive as possible.
In order to respond quickly when new goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, are developed, it would be appropriate to develop a mechanism to add goods where there is a clear and immediate risk that those goods will be used for purposes that entail such human rights abuses.

5.	Should the proposed common international standards prohibit trade in goods which have no practical use other than for the purpose of capital punishment or torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment? If not, please provide further explanations. 
Yes. It is considered necessary to prohibit exports and imports of goods which have no practical use other than for the purpose of capital punishment or for the purpose of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Respect for human rights and for human dignity are EU founding values, common to the EU Member States. 
Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 3 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms all lay down an unconditional, comprehensive prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 2(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Charter) states that no one shall be condemned to the death penalty or executed. Article 4 of the Charter states that no one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The Global Alliance for Torture-Free Trade is a major concrete initiative to deliver on the EU’s shared commitment to the eradication of torture and capital punishment.

6.	Should the proposed common international standards provide for strict control of trade in goods that could be used for the purpose of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and goods that could be used for the purpose of capital punishment? If not, please provide justification. 
Yes. It is also necessary to impose controls on exports of certain goods which could be used not only for the purpose of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, but also for legitimate purposes. Those controls are instrumental in promoting respect for human dignity and for fundamental human rights.

7.	 What types of activities linked to "import, export and transfer" should the proposed common international standards regulate? Please consider activities such as transit, promotion, technical assistance and training, brokering, sharing technology, manufacturing, production and commercial marketing, among others. Please also provide an explanation for why these activities should be regulated or not.
The proposed international regulatory framework could include the following activities linked to import, export and transfer: brokering services, technical assistance, training in the use of the regulated goods, promotion in trade fairs or exhibitions, and advertising.

8.	Please indicate which risk assessment mechanisms and criteria should be considered for the import, export and transfer of a) goods that could be used for the purpose of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and b) goods that could be used for the purpose of capital punishment. Please consider, inter alia, the criteria for preventing diversion to third countries.
Regarding goods which have no practical use other than for the purpose of capital punishment, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, trade should be prohibited.
Regarding the category (ii) of goods referred to in question 3, exports should be regulated, i.e. subject to an export authorisation requirement. Such authorisation should not be granted when there are reasonable grounds to believe that such 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 the country to which they are exported.
Regarding the category (iii) of goods referred to in question 3, exports should be regulated, i.e. subject to an export authorisation requirement. Such authorisation should not be granted when there are reasonable grounds to believe that such goods might be used for capital punishment in the country to which they are exported.
Criteria for granting authorisations shall apply to the verification of the intended end-use and the risk of diversion.

9.	Please indicate what you consider to be the most suitable type of international instrument to establish common international standards for regulating goods used for capital punishment or torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Please provide further explanation.
The most suitable type would be a legally binding instrument establishing measures to control and restrict trade in the goods referred to in answer to question 3. It could draw inspiration from the rules, principles and mechanisms established in the Regulation (EU) 2019/125 of 16 January 2019 concerning trade in certain goods, which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Only an international legally binding instrument could close the gap and put an end to the trade in these goods.