The CoCom meeting in Paris broke up last week with the US getting its way on relaxation of export controls on computers, telecommunications equipment and machine tools to the Comecon countries. Despite scepticism on the part of the Europeans, led by the West Germans and the French that such a regime could be made to work, the relaxation is being made dependent on democratic reforms, so that export rules will be more liberal with regard to Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia, US sources told Agence France Presse. The new list of restricted exports is to be ready for publication by May. The 17 members of CoCom also agreed to cut by a third the time it takes to get export approvals granted. No relaxation of exports to the Soviet Union was agreed, but it is likely to find it easier to get what it wants through the beneficiaries of the new regime.
