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76 

 1, Transfer in scientific and technical equipment and instruments 

 1.1 Present situation 



The conditions governing the international transfer of scientific and 

 technical equipment and instruments vary from one country to another 

 and depend as a general rule on the duration of the transfer, the type 

 of equipment involved and its intended use. 



In most of the countries^ which participated in the Summit, temporary 

 importation is a relatively simple matter, but tne periods of validity 

 are limited to a maximum of two or three years, which is incompatible 

 in certain cases with the time required to carry out complex scientific 

 experiments. Such importation generally enjoys total or partial 

 exemption from taxes or if a declaration has been made to the effect 

 that the item in question is to be re-exported (the case in Japan). 

 The formalities to be completed in order to obtain such exemption are 

 sometimes quite complex, and should normally take only a relatively 

 short time (say a week), but in complex cases may take longer. 

 However, it requires quite a complex administration and in many cases 

 it is to'tally impossible to give evidence of identity with respect to 

 each instrument after the completion of the "temporary" use. Here 

 again the existing rules are not at all in keeping with the complexity 

 of international HEP-cooperation. 



Perm anent importation of scientific and technical equipment is 

 general ly subject to the rules of the Florence Convention (1952). In 

 the case of most of the countries which participated in the Sunmit, 

 specialized scientific equipment can be imported free of tax provided 

 that it is to be used by public research bodies or bodies recognized as 

 such, for non-commercial purposes and that equipment of equivalent 

 scientific value is is not currently produced in the importing country 

 (or in the case of the EEC Member States, in the EC). Depending on the 

 country, components of such equipment may not enjoy the same 

 conditions, which can lead to difficulty where repairs have to be 

 carried out (the case in the USA and Japan). 



Exportation of such scientific and technical equipment and instruments 

 is not, as a general rule, subject to special restrictions. It should, 

 however, be noted that the equipment in question often falls within the 

 category of strategic and high-technology products, particularly in the 

 two areas in question, trade in which is at present strictly supervised 

 (particularly in the USA and Canada); where equipment of this type is 

 concerned, restrictions are encountered which necessitate cumbersome 

 formalities that may last for several months. 



1 The word Country has been used for simplicity but it should be taken to 

 mean customs territory possibly made of several countries (e.g. EEC). 



