An information portal of the Federal government and the Länder

Competent federal and Land authorities

The Federation

Following the issuing of an organisational decree by the Federal Chancellor, responsibility for nuclear safety and radiation protection passed from the Ministry of the Interior, which had previously held this portfolio, to the newly established Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in 1986 (December 2013 - March 2018: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety - BMUB; March 2018 - Dezember 2021: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety – BMU; since Dezember 2021: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection - BMUV). In the exercise of its statutory responsibilities pertaining to the safe utilisation of nuclear energy, the BMUV’s remit includes clarifying fundamental issues of relevance to the safety of nuclear facilities. This includes, in particular, supervision of the legality and expediency of the action taken by the nuclear authorities of the Länder, the development and revision of legislation and technical regulations, and international cooperation. 

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) are among the authorities which fall within the purview of the BMUV. 

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) is a scientific and technical higher federal authority set up in accordance with the Act on the Establishment of a Federal Office for Radiation Protection of 9 October 1989, last amended by Article 3 of the Act on Organisational Restructuring in the Field of Radioactive Waste Management of 26 July 2016. 

BfS works for the safety and protection of people and the environment against damage caused by ionising and non-ionising radiation. In relation to ionising radiation, its work focuses, for example, on the use of X-rays for diagnostic purposes in medicine, safety in the handling of radioactive substances in nuclear technology, accident management and protection against enhanced natural radioactivity. The work in the field of non-ionising radiation includes protection against ultraviolet radiation and the effects of mobile communications.

The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) is a scientific and technical federal authority set up in accordance with the Act on the Establishment of a Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management of 23 July 2013, amended by Article 4 of the Act on Organisational Restructuring in the Field of Radioactive Waste Management of 26 July 2016.

The BASE is the regulatory authority for the site selection procedure for a repository for high-level radioactive wastes. It also coordinates the public consultation and undertakes task-related research. It acts as the supervisory authority for final storage schemes and is the planning approval authority. It is responsible, furthermore, for granting approval for nuclear fuel transport and interim storage of spent fuel elements from the operation of nuclear power plants or radioactive waste from reprocessing.

BASE staff members monitor the latest scientific and technological developments in the field of nuclear safety at the national and international level. The BASE’s Incident Registration Centre logs and documents all reportable events occurring in German nuclear installations. The reviews of these events and the findings of investigations are used by the BASE in order to propose improvements to nuclear safety, for example during the drafting of national and international safety standards.

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV)

Robert-Schuman-Platz 3
53175 Bonn
Internet: www.bmuv.de (external link)

Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE)

10117 Berlin
Internet: www.base.bund.de (external link)

Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS)

Willy-Brandt-Straße 5
38226 Salzgitter
Internet: www.bfs.de (external link)

Authorities of the Länder

The German Atomic Energy Act (AtG) and the ordinances based on it are – with some exceptions – implemented by the Länder on behalf of the Federation (this is known as execution by the Länder on federal commission; Articles 87c and 85 of the Basic Law; Section 24, paragraph 1 of the Atomic Energy Act). The Land governments have assigned the tasks of licensing and supervision of the nuclear sector to the highest Land authorities (ministries). Subordinate authorities of the Länder rarely have a role in implementing nuclear legislation. The Federation is responsible for supervising the legality and expediency of the action taken by the Land authorities.

Baden-Württemberg



Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy Baden-Württemberg

Postfach 10 34 39
70029 Stuttgart

Bavaria

Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection

Postfach 81 01 40
81901 München

Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy 

Prinzregentenstraße 28
80538 München

Berlin


Senate Department for Environment, Transport and Climate Protection 

Brückenstraße 6
10179 Berlin

Brandenburg



Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Integration and Consumer Protection 

Henning-von-Treskow-Str. 2-13
14467 Potsdam

Ministry of the Interior and Local Government 

Henning-von-Treskow-Straße 9-13
14467 Potsdam

Bremen



Senator of Science, Women and Consumer Protection

Contrescarpe 72
28195 Bremen

Senator for Environment, Construction and Transport

Ansgaritorstraße 2
28195 Bremen

Hamburg


Ministry for Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture
Office for immission control and operations

Neuenfelder Straße 19
21109 Hamburg

Hesse



Hessian Ministry for Environment, Climate Protection, Agriculture and Consumer Protection

Mainzer Straße 80
65189 Wiesbaden

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania



Ministry of the Interior and Europe Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Alexandrinenstraße 1
19055 Schwerin

Lower Saxony



Lower Saxony Ministry for Environment, Energy, Building and Climate Protection

Postfach 41 07
30041 Hannover

North Rhine-Westphalia



Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia

40190 Düsseldorf

Ministry for Environment, Agriculture, Nature- and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia

Schwannstr. 3
40476 Düsseldorf

Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitization and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia

40213 Düsseldorf

Rhineland-Palatinate



Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility 

Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 1
55116 Mainz

Saarland



Ministry for Environment and Consumer Protection

Keplerstraße 18
66117 Saarbrücken

Saxony



Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture

Archivstr. 1
01097 Dresden

Saxony-Anhalt



Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Energy 

Leipziger Straße 58
39112 Magdeburg

Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Integration

Turmschanzenstraße 25
39114 Magdeburg

Schleswig-Holstein



Ministry of Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment Nature and Digitalization

Adolf-Westphal-Straße 4
24143 Kiel

Thuringia



Thuringian Ministry for Environment, Energy and Nature Conservation

Postfach 90 03 65
99106 Erfurt