Information on export control
In its various fields of activity, Paderborn University acts not only on a national but also on an international level. For example, it maintains international cooperations, educates foreign students, receives international guest researchers and partly covers its demand for supplies and services on the international market.
Within the scope of its fields of activity, Paderborn University thus participates in foreign trade, which, although basically free, is restricted by state intervention in order to protect the international community from human rights violations, proliferation and terrorism.
These restrictions, summarised under the term export control, are anchored both in national law (Foreign Trade and Payments Act - Au?enwirtschaftsgesetz (AWG) in conjunction with the Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance - Au?enwirtschaftsverordnung (AWV)) and in EU Union law (e.g. Dual-Use Regulation (VO (EU) 2021/821)). At the international level, US (re-) export law with its extraterritorial claim to validity must also be observed.
The common goal of these regulations is to prevent security from being threatened by weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons and to prevent sensitive goods as well as sensitive knowledge and skills from entering crisis areas.
Paderborn University, like all companies, universities, etc., is obliged to comply with these regulations. Neither the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of science nor a civil clause exempts us from this obligation. The aim of export controls is not to restrict research or censor its results, but solely to prevent their misuse.
Violations of the aforementioned national and European regulations can lead to serious reputational damage for UPB and the persons/institutes involved, and in extreme cases can result in fines or imprisonment for persons involved.
The following questions will help you to assess whether the provisions of foreign trade and payments law need to be taken into account in your project and whether any associated prohibitions or licensing requirements need to be observed:
