Under the current legal situation, pesticides are authorised in Germany even though scientific findings show that they are harmful to the environment. The German authorities are currently unable to effectively protect the environment from harmful pesticides. This should be re-regulated under European law.
Stunning images of table icebergs, close-ups of penguins, reports on research activity – media professionals spare neither icy cold nor other adversities to bring Antarctica in focus for readers and viewers at home.
Germany – as well as the other parties to the Treaty - implemented the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty into national law, which is why there is a German Act Implementing the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (AIEP). The AIEP identifies the German Environment Agency as the national competent authority.
The German permitting procedure for activities in the Antarctic is regulated by a separate law, the Act Implementing the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (AIEP). Because of their potential impacts on the Antarctic continent, all planned activities are subject to a review and assessment.
Although the Antarctic does not "belong" to anyone as such, anybody travelling to the territory covered by the Antarctic Treaty must comply with certain rules during their stay. Any German national planning an activity in the Antarctic or organising a journey which originates in Germany must be granted approval from the German Federal Environment Agency.
The reasons for travelling to the Antarctic are as varied as the possibilities to do so. We have compiled information on the following pages to help you plan your journey to the Antarctic in accordance with the high environmental standards in effect and to apply for your permit with us.
It is difficult at first glance to see the connection between a German environment agency and the Antarctic - after all, Germany has no territorial claims in the eternal ice. However, Germany is a Party to the Antarctic Treaty and thus assumes responsibility for the Antarctic. The German Environment Agency (UBA) helps to meet these responsibilities.
