Environmental and Spatial Planning

Agenda 21, a 40-chapter document which addresses all the major policy areas of ecological and sustainable development, is the blueprint of action for the 21st century agreed upon in Rio by more than 170 states.

Resolution of 32nd Conference of Ministers for Spatial Planning

Beschluss der 32. Ministerkonferenz für Raumordnung (PDF / 59 KB, in German)

Further development of spatial planning policy models and action strategies

Federal Building Code

Baugesetzbuch - BauGB (in German)

General urban planning legislation (i.a. urban land-use planning, preparatory land-use planning, binding land-use planning, planning approval procedure for land reallocation and Special urban planning legislation (i.a. urban rehabilitation measures, urban development and redevelopment, the Socially Integrative City programme, the preservation of physical structures and the specific character of areas, urban development enforcement orders and compensation for hardship, tenancy and leases)

Federal Land Utilisation Ordinance

Baunutzungsverordnung - BauNVO (in German)

Land utilisation law on the type and extent of built use of land as well as building methods.

Act on the Prevention of Harmful Effects on the Environment Caused by Air Pollution, Noise, Vibration and Similar Phenomena

Bundesimmissionsschutzgesetz - BImSchG (in German)

Extract from Section 2 Scope of the Act:
(1) The provisions of this Act shall apply to
1. the construction and operation of installations;
2. the production, marketing and importation of installations, fuels, substances and products made of any such substances...,
3. the nature, equipment, operation and testing of motor vehicles including their trailers, and of railborne vehicles, aircraft and watercraft as well as of floating units and installations... and
4. the construction of public roads as well as of railways, magnetic levitation trains and tramways . . .

Federal Nature Conservation Act (PDF / 2,52 MB)
English-language version by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Bundesnaturschutzgesetz - BNatSchG (in German)

Framework legislation by which the federal states (Länder) are to implement the aims of nature conservation.

Act on the Preservation of Forests and Funding of Forestry Management

Bundeswaldgesetz - BWaldG (in German)

This Act is principally designed
1. to conserve forests due to their economic benefits (productive function) and their importance for the environment, in particular the constant services rendered by forests to preserve the ecosystem, for the climate, clean air, soil fertility, water supply, to sustain the landscape, agriculture, infrastructure, and the recreation of the population (protective and recreational functions), to expand them, wherever possible, and to ensure their proper management on a sustainable basis,
2. whilst promoting the forestry sector and
3. reconciling public interests and the concerns of forest owners.

European Conference of Ministers responsible for regional/spatial planning - CEMAT

Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial Development of the European Continent

10-point programme to promote territorial cohesion throughout Europe. Adopted at the 12th Session of the CEMAT held on 7-8 September 2000 in Hannover.

europlan (PDF / 1,8 MB, in German)

Information on urban and regional development – urban development regulation of retail outlet locations, 1/2005.

The report covers urban development regulation of retail outlet location based on the town of Burscheid. Instruments implemented are monitoring in local development planning,  land use, and infrastructure utilisation, and planning law regulation.

Directive 2000/60/EC Water Policy

Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy

The purpose of this Directive is to establish a framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater in the Member States of the European Union.

Land Consolidation Act

Flurbereinigungsgesetz - FlurbG (in German)

Law on improvement of production and working conditions in agricultural and forestry sectors and in order to promote overall ecologically-based land management and development, this law provides for measures by which land holdings can be consolidated.

Hazardous Substances Ordinance (PDF / 452 KB)
English-language version by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health BAuA:

Gefahrstoffverordnung - GefStoffV (in German)

This ordinance applies to the placing of preparations, substances and products on the market; to protect workers and other persons from health and safety risks arising from hazardous substances; and safeguarding the environment against damage occasioned by substances.

Act to Simplify Urban Development Planning Procedures - Gesetz zur Erleichterung von Planungsverfahren für die Innenentwicklung der Städte, of 21/12/2006 (PDF / 71 KB, in German)

Introduction to the Act - Vorblatt zum Gesetz, as per: 26/5/2006 (PDF / 125 KB, in German)

Act to amend the Federal Building Code. The coalition agreement of the CDU, CSU and SPD of 11 November 2005 provides for  incentives to reduce land use and to accelerate and promote major urban development projects-- particularly in the area of jobs, housing requirements, and infrastructure endowment- by simplifying the building and planning laws applicable to such projects. The Act serves to implement this agreement.

Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (PDF / 309 KB)
English-language version by the German Bundestag

Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland (PDF / 137 KB, in German)

The Parliamentary Council, meeting in public session at Bonn am Rhein on 23 May 1949, confirmed that the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, which was adopted by the Parliamentary Council on 8 May 1949, was ratified in the week of 16 to 22 May 1949 by the parliaments of more than two thirds of the participating German Länder. By virtue of this fact the Parliamentary Council, represented by its Presidents, has signed and promulgated the Basic Law. The Basic Law is hereby published in the Federal Law Gazette pursuant to paragraph (3) of Article 145.

Act for Promoting Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management and Ensuring Environmentally Compatible Waste Disposal (PDF / 220 KB)
English-language version by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz - KrW-/AbfG (in German)

The purpose of the Act is to promote closed substance cycle waste management in order to conserve natural resources and to ensure environmentally compatible disposal of waste. The provisions of this Act apply to
1. the avoidance,
2. recovery and
3. disposal of waste

Standard Building Regulations

Musterbauordnung - MBO, in its November 2002 version (PDF / 258 KB, in German)

Part 1 Scope of the Act (1): This Act applies to physical structures and building products. It also covers properties and other structures and installations for which requirements apply due directly or indirectly to this law. 

The German Federal Government
Perspectives for Germany – Our Strategy for Sustainable Development 2002 (PDF / 2,12 MB)

The model of sustainable development became known worldwide in 1987 when the Brundtland Commission presented its report “Our Common Future”. At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the international community of states announced the model of sustainable development and a global programme of action for the 21st century under Agenda 21. The report discusses various aspects of intergeneration equity, quality of life, social cohesion, and international responsibility.

Plan Notation Ordinance

Planzeichenverordnung - PlanzV (in German)

The maps used in urban land-use planning must be to a scale that depicts the condition of the project area both accurately, completely, and sufficiently for the purposes of the plan. The scales to be applied must facilitate interpretation and comprehension of urban land-use plans. The annex to the ordinance contains the notation symbols to be adopted in urban land-use plans.

Federal Regional Planning Act

Raumordnungsgesetz - ROG (in German)

§ 1 Function and guideline of spatial planning
(1) The entire land area the Federal Republic of Germany and its parts are to be developed, allocated, and protected by means of comprehensive superordinate spatial structure plans and coordinating planning and activities.
Last amended by Art. 10 G of 9.12.2006 I 2833
Amendment by Art. 9 Nr. 2 V of 22.12.2008 I 2986 (Nr. 65) not yet accounted for.

Environmental Report 2006: Environment – Innovation – Employment

by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Umweltbericht 2006 (PDF / 2,4 MB, in German)

I. Pursuing an Ambitious Climate Policy
II. Continuing Sustainable Energy Policy
III. Conserving Resources
IV. Conserving and Using Nature
V. Designing Mobility to Meet Environmental Needs
VI. Healthy Environment  – Healthy People

2006-2008 Federal Government Report to the German Conference of Environmental Ministers

Bericht des Bundes 2006-2008 an die Umweltministerkonferenz (PDF / 7 MB, in German)

The Report to the German Conference of Environment Ministers provides a detailed overview of events and plans in federal environmental policy; also illustrates procedural steps at the Federal Ministry for Environment (BMU) and results of international negotiations.

DIRECTIVE 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (PDF / 130 KB)

Environmental assessment is an important tool for integrating environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment in the Member States, because it ensures that such effects of implementing plans and programmes are taken into account during their preparation and before their adoption.

Ordinance on the Avoidance and Recovery of Packaging Wastes

Verpackungsverordnung - VerpackV (in German)

Section 1, Waste Management Objectives of the Ordinance, states:
The purpose of this Ordinance is to avoid or reduce the environmental impacts of waste arising from packaging. Packaging waste shall in the first instance be avoided; reuse of packaging, recycling and other forms of recovery shall otherwise take priority over the disposal of packaging waste.

Administrative Procedure Act (PDF / 158 KB)
English-language version by the Ministry of the Interior

Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz - VwVfG (in German)

Part One, Administrative Procedure Law, states:
(1) This Act shall apply to the administrative activities under public law of the official bodies:
1. of the Federal Government and public law entities, institutions and foundations operated directly by the Federal Government,
2. of the Laender and local authorities and other public law entities subject to the supervision of the Laender where these execute federal legislation on behalf of the federal authorities, where no federal law or regulation contains similar or conflicting provisions.

Federal Water Act, Act on the Managing Water Resources

Wasserhaushaltsgesetz - WHG (in German)

Federal Water Act, Article 1: This Act shall apply to the following waters:
1. permanently or temporarily confined flowing or standing waters, and unconfined waters from natural springs (surface waters),
1a. the sea between the coastline at mean high water or the seaward limits of the surface
waters and the seaward limits of the coastal sea (coastal waters),
2. water which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil (groundwater).
The provisions of this Act shall also apply to parts of waters.