A new analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) assesses the state of transatlantic export controls under the framing "New Momentum, Old Problems," arguing that renewed political energy on both sides of the Atlantic has not yet resolved the structural issues that have historically limited coordinated action.

The report's central claim is straightforward: momentum exists, but the underlying problems are not new. Governments in Washington and European capitals have intensified their focus on export controls as a tool of economic and security policy, yet the mechanisms for aligning their regimes remain subject to the same frictions that have shaped the transatlantic policy conversation for years.

What does the report identify as the core problem?

According to the CSIS analysis, the central difficulty lies in harmonizing export control approaches across jurisdictions with different legal frameworks, licensing procedures, and industrial interests. The title itself signals the diagnosis: while policymakers bring fresh urgency to the file, the obstacles are inherited ones — divergence in national implementation, uneven enforcement capacity, and differing assessments of risk.

These are long-recognized issues in the export control community. The report positions current efforts against that backdrop, suggesting that without structural fixes, new initiatives risk reproducing familiar outcomes.

Why does this matter now?

Export controls have moved to the center of allied economic security policy, driven by concerns over strategic technology transfer and the use of commercial tools for military ends. That shift has raised the stakes of transatlantic coordination failures: when licensing decisions or control lists diverge between the United States and Europe, exporters face regulatory uncertainty and target actors can exploit gaps between regimes.

The CSIS contribution joins a broader policy debate over how allies can maintain effective control regimes without fragmenting trade relationships or burdening industry with conflicting compliance requirements.

What would better coordination require?

The report's framing implies a dual agenda:

• Sustaining momentum — capitalizing on current political willingness to tighten and coordinate controls
• Fixing old problems — addressing the institutional and legal divergences that have undermined alignment in practice

The analysis suggests that the second task is the harder one. Political momentum can be fleeting; the structural work of aligning licensing systems, sharing enforcement information, and reconciling national interests is slow and technical.

Who should read it?

The report targets policymakers working on export control harmonization, compliance officers at firms operating across the transatlantic market, and analysts tracking the evolution of allied economic security tools. Its diagnostic approach — separating the question of political will from the question of institutional capability — offers a framework for evaluating upcoming legislative and regulatory proposals on both sides of the Atlantic.

CSIS, a Washington-based policy research institution, publishes regularly on export controls, economic security, and transatlantic defense-industrial cooperation. This analysis adds to that body of work by assessing where current efforts stand relative to the long-running coordination agenda.

The full report is available through CSIS.