3.3. Export control and export control legislation
Export control provisions
- Within the scope of your international collaborations, you must apply the foreign trade law of the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA).
- BAFA has released 2 publications that provide a good overview of the export control regulatory framework:
Research areas that are relevant to export control regulations
According to BAFA, the following areas are highly relevant to export control:
- biology including biotechnology and medicine
- chemistry, biochemistry
- physics
- nuclear technology
- energy and environmental technology
- information and communication technology
- electrical Engineering
- aerospace and teletraffic engineering
- mechanical engineering
- materials engineering
- process engineering
Legal obligation
The freedom of academia guaranteed by the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, GG) does not exempt you from complying with foreign trade regulations. Export control is not about censoring academic research or publications; rather, it is solely about preventing highly security-relevant misuse when sensitive goods or knowledge are transferred abroad. Customs law, prohibitions, and restrictions are about financing the EU budget and other legal institutions such as environmental protection. Academia is not exempt from taxation or other formalities.
Questions and consultations
The Export and Custom Control Unit is available to answer your questions and provide consultations.
Find further information on customs formalities and export control here (German only).