European Union postponed decision on removing barriers to Export of Crypto

The European Ministers of Foreign Affairs did not decide last monday to remove all barriers to the export of crypto-products. The ministers withdrew the proposal from their agenda.

A few days earlier, European Commissionair Liikanen of the Information Society, announced the member states had reached agreement on the sensitive issue and would formally agree on it during their meeting on monday 22 (European Union sets free export of encryption products). France and the United Kingdom opposed the rules for long time, but now seemed willingly to unblock the decision. Opposition came also from the United States, which pressured the European Union continually to withold the decision.

It is not clear why the decision has been postponed. Diplomats and spokesmen said it was just a matter of too much items on the agenda that had to be discussed.

The decision now is scheduled for the meeting of june 13.