Area:  Total: 356,910 sq km  Land: 349,520 sq km Coastline: 2,389 km  Population: 82,087,361 (July 1999 est.) Source: CIA Worldfact Book (1999)

Germany   Basic Data Contacts CSD Data Other Links Country Contacts Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany German Federal Environment Ministry Federal Environmental Agency Ministry of Transport Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry     (Source:  CIA World Factbook 1999)     OCEANS AND COASTAL AREAS Many thanks to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the source of the following information. The information was taken from Germany's submission to the 5th and 7th Sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development (last update: November 1998). For further information on Germany's social and economic factors, natural resources, and institutional structures see the United Nations System-Wide Web Site on National Implementation of the Rio Commitments National Information for Germany at:   http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/germany/index.htm   Germany ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on October 14, 1994.  Decision-Making  Integrated coastal zone management, marine environmental protection, both from land-based activities and from sea-based activities, and sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources fall under the authority of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, the Federal Ministry of Transport, and various coastal state ministries for the zone up to 12 nautical miles offshore.  The implementation of water resources management regulations in Germany, including integrated coastal area management, is exclusively a matter of the Federal States and their municipalities. Nature protection, spatial planning and partly fisheries fall into the responsibility of the coastal states. The water management administrations of the Federal States are predominantly integrated in the respective general Federal State administrations. The coastal states (Niedersachsen, Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg- Vorpommern) actively cooperate as well in the implementation of Chapter 17 of Agenda 21 and with respect to regional international agreements, e.g. Baltic 21, the Helsinki and the OSPAR Convention. Standing coordination takes place between the Federal Ministries and relevant authorities of the Federal States.  Germany's National policy on oceans is integrated into the National Sustainable Development Strategy, and as far as it relates to fisheries within the Common Fisheries Policy of the EC. It has an integrated coastal area management programme to encompass all marine activities within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Policy address marine environmental protection and sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources as well. The Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation (Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark) is working to protect the fragile coastal intertidal mud flats.  All applicable topics of the Washington Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities are covered by the relevant regional conventions. Conventions to be mentioned in this context are: OSPAR, Helsinki, London Convention, Bukarest Convention, Black Sea convention, International Convention for the protection of the Rhine against pollution, International Convention for the protection of the Elbe, International Convention for the protection of the Oder and the Convention for the protection of the Danube. Regarding the sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources Germany takes due account of the EU Common Fisheries Policy and the FAO Code of Conduct. In the context of the International Conferences on the protection of the North Sea Germany is implementing the Statements of Conclusions from the various Ministerial Meetings and in particular on the Integration of Fisheries and Environmental Issues, Bergen, Norway, 1997.  With respect to integrated coastal zone management and the sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources, Germany implements its legislative obligations according to the following international law or international agreements:    United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;  Convention of Biological Diversity;  OSPAR Convention;  Helsinki Convention;  UN Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks;  Washington Declaration and the UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based activities;  London Convention; and  International Convention for the Prevention of pollution from Ships (MARPOL).  For matters related to the sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources, the following apply:    Convention of Biological Diversity;  EU Common Fisheries Policy;  OSPAR Convention;  Helsinki Convention;  UN Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks; and  FAO Code of Conduct of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.  Codes of practice, standards and guidelines have been established by the Commission of the European Union and the Germany Government. The precautionary principle is one of the guiding principles in German environmental policy. An environmental impact assessment is mandatory for certain public and private projects.  Major Group Involvement  Major Groups are involved in decision-making in the area of protection of the marine environment through two means:  1. Regular hearing of non-governmental organisations, business and industry, scientific and technological community organisations about all topics of the Protection of the marine environment; and  2. Regular information and consultation in decision making for issues related to oceans and seas of the Federal States and their local authorities and of experts of non governmental organisations.  Status  The major current uses of the coastal areas in Germany include the following: tourism, agriculture, major population centres, industry, fishing, shipping and nature conservation areas. In 1996, agriculture, forestry and fishing together amounted to 1.1 percent of GNP.  Sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources is encouraged through Instruments of the EC Common Fisheries Policy, i.e. the Basic Fishing Regulation, the TAC and Quota Regulation, and the Regulation of Technical Measures. Shipping impacts on sustainable management of coastal zones through illegal oil discharges, emissions to air, ship borne litter, introduction of alien species through ballast water, TBT antifoulings and accidents. Tourism also has an impact in some areas.  The primary sources of land-based pollution of the marine environment are industry (hazardous substances), agriculture nutrients, pesticides), and transport. The primary sources of sea-based pollution of the marine environment are legal and illegal oil discharges and dumping of contaminated dredged materials.  Among the major projects and activities underway or planned to address the issues cited above are the following:    the Trilateral Wadden Sea Plan;  Implementation of the reduction targets for nutrients and hazardous substances of OSPAR, HELCOM (Helsinki Commission) and the North Sea Conferences; and  Establishment of Marine Protected areas in the area of the OSPAR and Helsinki Convention.  Constraints  Among the constraints to implementing policies and programmes are fragmentation of competence (national and international); user conflicts; and long-lasting discussions and slow implementation of programs and measures in international conventions and agreements  Capacity-building, education, training and awareness-raising  Capacity-building, education, training and awareness-raising are undertaken through Workshops, i.e. on the integration of fisheries and environmental issues; and the Round table of the Federal Government, the Federal States, industry and NGOs. Other means for awareness-raising include the following:    Press releases;  Lectures for the general public;  Lectures at universities;  Lectures for the nautical associations and hydrogeographic societies;  Exhibitions, symposia, workshops; and  Special issue stamp for the protection of the coast and the ocean environment.  Technology  Among the technology issues on which Germany is working are (1) development of environmentally sound paints for ships, and (2) treatment of contaminated dredged materials. Technologies are chosen on the basis of BEP: Best environmental practice, and BAT: Best available technology.  Information  National information that is important for assisting both decision-makers and planners working in coastal areas include the following:  Sustainable management of fishery resources    CES recommendations;  Handbooks, status reports and workshops e.g. about the implementation of the conclusions of the Ministerial Meeting on the Integration of Fisheries and environmental issues in the framework of the International North Sea Conferences;  Information about sustainable fisheries in the BALTIC 21 (Agenda 21) for the Baltic Sea;  Round table on sustainable fisheries;  Reports from the Federal Agency for Fisheries Research;  Information from NGOs.          Marine Pollution    National implementation reports;  Yearly reports on emissions and discharges and on inputs via rivers and atmospheric deposition; and  quality status reports, e.g., North Sea Conferences, OSPAR and HELCOM.  Living Resources Other Than Fish    Reports and handbooks, i.e., Red Lists from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation;  Information, handbooks, status reports and workshops, i.e., about the implementation of the conclusions of the Ministerial Meeting on the Integration of Fisheries and environmental issues and North Sea Conferences, OSPAR and HELCOM;  Information from NGOs.  Critical Uncertainties (e.g., climate change)    Reports from the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Ministry for Research and the Federal Maritime and Hydrogeographic Agency  Germany uses a surveillance system to monitor implementation of relevant laws and regulations. Geographic Information Systems are used for these purposes in part.  Information on oceans in Germany may be accessed through the following World Wide Web sites:       www.bsh.de       www.bmu.de       www.umweltbundesamt.de       www.dainet.de  Germany participates in a test run for sustainable development indicators and is working on the development of agri-environmental indicators in the OECD-framework.  Financing  Financing for programmes and activities in these areas is provided through the National budget.  Cooperation  Germany is a Party to the following international agreements of relevance to oceans and seas:    United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea  Convention of Biological Diversity;  OSPAR Convention;  Helsinki Convention;  Baltic 21 for the Baltic Sea  UN Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks;  The Washington Declaration and the UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based activities;  London Convention;  International Convention for the Prevention of pollution from Ships (MARPOL); and  Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Resources (CCAMLR)  Other related agreements, particularly regional and sea-specific agreements, to which Germany is a Party include the following:    Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation (Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark);  Bonn Agreement;  The Ministerial Declarations of the International Conferences for the Protection of the North Sea;  The FAO International Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries; and  Baltic 21 for the Baltic Sea  Other Links Agrarian Information (in German) Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) For national information on seas and coastal areas