European Commission Urges Germany to Change Plans for Online Gaming Ban | IXGAMES
EU Industry Commissioner Gunter Verhuegen has contacted the heads of Germanys regional governments regarding their ban on online gaming, mainly online lotteries and sports betting. Mr. Verhuegen has given them a month to change a restrictive draft treaty on online regulation. Similar to states of the United States, Germans states (regional governments) have significant individual power to make their own laws. Official word from the EU Commission is that The ban on Internet gaming is disproportionate, and that there are less restrictive measures available, such as mandatory prior registration and strict guarantees in identification. 
Making these changes would bring the German model closer to the newly opened Italian model. Coincidentally, online poker in Germany is booming.