DTAG seeks new members

   The Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG), a private-sector panel that provides advice to the federal government on the policy and regulation of U.S. defense trade, is now accepting membership applications for the upcoming 2012-2014 term.
   “Membership on this panel presents an exciting opportunity to participate in the administration’s Export Control Reform Initiative, seeking to better align the export control process with emerging global security challenges,” the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said in an announcement.
   Membership is open to individuals from U.S. industry, trade associations, law firms, policy institutions, and academia with expertise in U.S. law, policies, and regulation for defense trade. Administered by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs’ Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), members are appointed for a two-year term based on personal knowledge and expertise in defense trade policies and munitions licensing. DTAG averages about 30-35 members.
   The advisory group, established in 1992, develops policy recommendations through working groups, such as recent efforts to review the U.S. Munitions List and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The working groups present their recommendations to the full advisory group and the general public at twice-annual open meetings.
   “The goals of our export control reform efforts are ultimately about making sure that our system protects the things it needs to protect,” said Andrew J. Shapiro, assistant secretary of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs in remarks to DTAG in Washington on Nov. 9.
   “This will allow the U.S. government to focus its limited resources on safeguarding and monitoring the most sensitive items. Our reform efforts will also allow us to streamline access to export controlled items for our close allies. This will help improve interoperability with our allies, as well as bolster our defense industrial base,” he said. “We seek to facilitate exports to allies and partners by eliminating approximately 3,000 dual-use licenses and tens of thousands of licenses for munitions parts and components annually.”
   Shapiro praised the DTAG members for their involvement in President Obama’s Export Control Reform Initiative.
   “This has been a very busy two years for the group and one of the most successful since DTAG began,” he said. “I was especially pleased to see the breadth of the active participation, regardless of the member’s location. The next DTAG certainly has some very big shoes to fill.”
   For more details about DTAG and membership application details, access the DDTC Website.