This Manual is primarily aimed at the academic and research sector, its representatives and employees as well as scientists as private individuals.

The goal is to raise the awareness of universities and research institutions for the aims of export control and to support them in the application of foreign trade law.

Restrictions under foreign trade law may play a role in the academic field, e. g. in research cooperation with foreign institutions, in cooperation with visiting scientists in institutes in Germany, in the transfer of scientific equipment (items) abroad and also in the transfer of knowledge and publications. Export control does not cover all activities in the academic and research sector by far, but it is the task of all those involved to identify and evaluate the individual cases covered. A responsible use of the legally guaranteed freedom of foreign trade (Section 1 AWG), freedom of sciences (Art. 5 (3) GG) etc. presupposes that in individual cases the limits of this freedom are also known.

This publication was produced with the collaboration of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Leibniz Institute DSMZ, the Robert Koch Institute and the Technical University of Berlin to whom BAFA expresses its thanks.

Please note that this publication cannot cover all conceivable individual aspects and does not claim to be complete. Reading this publication also cannot replace your own examination of the export control regulations but will provide you with a wide range of assistance, particularly with regard to finding the relevant information and the possibilities of communicating with BAFA.

Please also note that the statements contained herein are not legally binding. It is possible that public prosecutors’ offices or courts may take a different view in individual cases.