Environmental Protection Protocol- Implementation Act.

The present Act implements the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty of 4 October 1991. Objectives of the present Act are the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and the dependent and associated ecosystems, as well as the preservation of the Antarctic being a natural reserve dedicated to peace and science. Any activity according to article 2, paragraph 1 No. 2 of the Protocol carried out by: 1) German nationals, 2) other natural persons resident or ordinarily resident in the Federal Republic of Germany, 3) legal persons established in the Territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, 4) foreign legal persons, requires a permit. The Federal Environment Office is the competent authority to grant authorizations. The text – consisting of 42 articles – deals, inter alia, with the following aspects: definition of terms, rules and bans, authorisation proceedings, prevention of marine pollution, research activities, environmental impact assessment, public display, notification of the parties to the environmental protection committee, survey and monitoring, protection of fauna and flora of the antarctic, brining animals and plants to the Antarctic, avoidance principles and removal of waste, permits and administrative plans.