Article 2

(1) The Council will annually submit a report to the Federal Government by the first of June giving an updated de-scription
of the state of global environmental change and its consequences, specifying quality, size and range of
possible changes and giving an analysis of the latest results of research. In addition, the report should contain in-dications
on how to avoid or correct maldevelopments. The report will be published by the Council.

(2) While preparing the reports the Council will allow for the Federal Government to give an opinion on central que-stions
arising from this task.

(3) The Federal Government may ask the Council to prepare special reports and opinions on specified topics.

Article 3

(1) The Council consists of up to twelve members with special knowledge and experience regarding to the task of
the Council.

(2) The members of the Council will be jointly appointed by the two ministries in charge, that is the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Reactor
Safety, in agreement with the departments concerned for a period of four years. Reappointment is possible.

(3) Members can at any time hand in a written announcement of resignation from the Council.

(4) If a member resigns before the end of his or her term of office, a new member will be appointed for the retired
member's term of office.

Article 4

(1) The Council is only subject to the fulfillment of its task as established by this decree and otherwise independent
in its activity.

(2) Members of the Council must neither belong to the Government or a legal corporation of the Federal Republic or of a Land nor to the public service of the Federal Republic, of a Land or of any other juristic person of the Public
Law other than as university professor or as staff member of a scientific institute. Neither must they be representatives of an economic association or an employers' or employees' organization or be attached to these by the per-manent execution of services and business in their favour. They must not have held any such position during the last year prior to their appointment as a member of the Council.

Article 5

(1) The Council elects from among its members in secret election a chairman and a vice-chairman for a period of four years. Re-election is possible.

(2) The Council will set up its own rules of procedure. These must be approved of by both ministries in charge.

(3) If there is a differing minority with regard to individual topics of the report then this minority opinion can be ex-pressed in the report.

Article 6

In the execution of its work the Council will be supported by a Secretariat which will, for the time being, be located at the Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI) in Bremerhaven.

Article 7

Members of the Council as well as the staff of the Secretariat are bound to secrecy with regard to meetings and conference papers considered confidential by the Council. This obligation to secrecy is also valid with regard to information given to the Council and considered confidential.

Article 8

(1) Members of the Council will receive an all-inclusive compensation as well as a reimbursement of their travel expenses. The amount of the compensation will be fixed by the two ministries in charge in agreement with the Federal Ministry of Finance.

(2) The costs of the Council and its Secreteriat will be shared equally by the two ministries in charge.


Dr. Heinz Riesenhuber
Minister for Research and Technology

Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer
Minister for the Environment, Nature
Conservation, and Nuclear Safety

May 1992

Appendix to the Council mandate

In explanation of the task of the Council under Article 2, par. 1

Zu den Aufgaben des Beirats gehören: