Germany eases norms

Germany announced easing of export control laws to allow India access to dual use items, marking a major development that will benefit the expanding nuclear energy sector. “India has been removed from the list of countries subject to national export control restrictions. Now, India will be treated by us just like any other EU country,” German Ambassador Thomas Matussek said. PM Manmohan Singh, during a visit to Germany last year, had asked Chancellor Angela Merkel to relax export control laws to allow high technology trade with India. The export control laws were modified by Germany a week before Merkel’s May 31 visit to India. “One week before the Chancellor’s visit to India, Germany modified its export control legislation vis-a-vis India. We have repealed our restrictions for the export of goods for nuclear power plants,” Matussek said.