WBGU - Joint Decree (October 25, 2000)

Article 1

The German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), founded in 1992, has been charged with evaluating environmental changes and their impacts and making proposals on coping with them in their respective ecological, social and economic contexts. The WBGU is thus to assist both the responsible authorities and the general public in making well-informed and sound judgements.

Article 2

(1) Every two years, the Council will submit a report to the Federal Government by the first of October giving, on the basis of the latest research results, indications 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 questions 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 nine 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 Education and Research and the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, in agreement with other ministries 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 expressed in the report.

Article 6

In the execution of its work the Council will be supported by a Secretariat.

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.

Edelgard Bulmahn
Minister for Research and Technology

Jürgen Trittin
Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety

October 25, 2000