Germany has become the fourth European country to implement a European Union directive designed to make it easier for non-European scientists to get working visas for the EU. In signing the EU directive into law, Germany follows Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia, according to the EU's research news service, Cordis. Germany spends more on research and development than any other European country -- more than 56 billion euros (US$75 billion) in 2005 -- making it by far the most significant country yet to enact the directive. The EU directive was passed in 2005 and needs to be translated into national law by EU member countries by October this year. However, there have been suggestions that at least some member states will miss the October deadline. Among the other European powerhouses for research and development, France, whose annual R&D expenditure is second to Germany's, is in the process of transposing the...

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