The Netherlands government attempted to ban the export of dogs to the IDF, claiming that they can be used as weapons, EU Observer reports.
Minister for Foreign Trade Lilianne Ploumen, however, said that there is no legal manner in which to do so.
EU countries can only restrict exports in certain cases, which are typically decided by the EU as a whole. Ploumen had suggested to the European Commission that service dogs could fall under the dual-use regulation, which deal with objects that have both civilian and military uses.
The Commission responded that the dogs do not qualify because they always have civilian uses, even when serving in the military.