Privacy Policy Statement

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) takes the protection of personal data very seriously. For users to be able to use our website fully, it is necessary to collect certain information when they visit our website. With this privacy policy statement, we are informing users about which data we collect, how we use that data and about their rights as users of our website. 

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
Stresemannstrasse 128-130
10117 Berlin Germany
Phone: +49 (0)30 18 305-0
Fax: +49 (0)228 99 305-3225

For any questions or information on data protection, please contact:

Data Protection Officer
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
Stresemannstrasse 128-130
10117 Berlin
Telefon: +49 (0)30 18 305-0

Every visit to our website is stored on a protocol file to ensure data security. To this end, the following data is stored for a maximum of 24 hours:

• names of files accessed
• date and time of access
• volume of data transferred
• notice whether data was successfully accessed
• IP address of the user or provider
• Internet address of website visited directly before (referrer)
• information about the programme retrieving the data (user agent)

The ministry is not able to directly link IP addresses to users and rules it out.

IP addresses are only analysed in cases of attacks against our website, breaches of public order or other cases of illegal actions in connection with the website. An analysis of the IP address to reveal the identity of the user can only be conducted with the help of the user's provider and only in connection with investigations by the police or public prosecutors.

This data is not used for statistical purposes. We do not pass on this data to third parties for commercial or non-commercial use.

Further information about how this site uses cookies can be found in our cookie statement.

Some information offers on our website provide the option of filling out forms with personal data. For example, if users subscribe to our newsletter or other email services, they will need to provide their email address. If users register for an event or order information material, we will need their name and address. 

Users are free to decide whether they wish to submit this data. Only the data needed to deliver the requested service is asked of users. Data is treated as confidential and is only used for the purpose for which it was requested. 

If the storage of personal data is required to provide a certain service, the data is only stored for the time period necessary to handle the request or to fulfil the offer or task of the ministry for which the data was requested.

Once users unsubscribe to such a service or it is terminated by the ministry, personal data is irretrievably deleted after a maximum of 6 weeks. The ministry sends out newsletters which track the clicks made by the recipient. The clicks to the links are counted without matching them to the respective recipient. This data does not allow us to analyse which recipient has clicked on what link, but only the number of clicks per link. No personal data is stored.

If users send us a message through our contact form or directly by email, the data they submit will be used to communicate with them. 

Security gaps can occur in email communication. Emails sent to staff of the ministry may be intercepted and read by experienced Internet users. If users send an email to the ministry, we assume that we are authorised to reply to the email address used. If users do not want this, it may be advisable to consider using another channel of communication, for example regular mail.

If users use forms to send emails, information about the browser version and operating system is stored in the system in addition to the data submitted. IP addresses are not stored. This data is not processed; it only serves the purpose of correcting errors in individual cases. Information is automatically deleted after 28 days. 

Our website contains links to websites of other providers and social media. We would like to expressly point out that these websites process personal data in accordance with their own privacy policies. The ministry has no influence on the compliance of other providers with data protection regulations.

In connection with our press and public relations work, during events and meetings photos will be taken in which you may be identifiable. You may object to such photos being taken and/or published. Please use the contact details above for such objections.

How your personal data is processed depends on the channel of communication. We differentiate between contact via email, online contact form and mail or fax.

Information or enquiries submitted electronically – just like information submitted on paper – is stored for the periods required in accordance with the Registry Guideline, supplementing the Joint Rules of Procedure of the Federal Ministries.

By submitting an inquiry, you agree that your request may be forwarded to other supreme federal authorities or authorities under the supervision of the ministry for processing. We forward inquiries in compliance with data protection laws.

If you send an email, we use the data provided by you (e.g. first and last name, address), at least your email address and the personal data contained in the email, for the purpose of contacting you and processing your request.

If you use the online contact form of the civic communication team, you must choose a form of address and enter your name and email address. The online contact form of the visitor service requires you to provide the desired visit date, your full name, address, phone number and email address as well as information on the visitor group. It is impossible to process your request via the contact form without this information. We also receive information on the date and time of your inquiry.

If you send us a message via the contact form, we assume that we are entitled to respond via email. If not, you should specifically indicate another preferred channel of communication.

If you write us a letter or send a fax, we will process the data provided by you (e.g. first and last name, address) and use the information contained in the letter or fax (personal data provided by you, if any) for the purpose of contacting you and processing your request.

The ministry regularly welcomes visitors for information events. For security reasons, the ministry has to ask for visitors’ first and last names and dates of births in preparation for the event in order to grant access to the ministry premises. For operational reasons, we store first and last names and dates of birth in an IT-based system.

Any other data you voluntarily provide us may help us to better prepare for your visit.

Any person registering others must inform them about the processing of their personal data for the purpose of arranging their visit to the ministry. The affected persons must have given their consent to this.

Persons under the age of 18 should not submit personal information to us without the consent of their parent or legal guardian. We do not request personal data from children or young people without the consent of their parents or legal guardian. We do not knowingly collect such data, and we do not pass it on to third parties.

Generally, submitting personal data is not required when using our website. If we store personal data on our website, it is only done with the users’ consent, which can be withdrawn at any time (for example, newsletter subscriptions pursuant to Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR), or for processing an order (for example, of publications pursuant to Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

In any other case, we only process personal data when legally required to do so (pursuant to Article 6 (1) (c) GDPR), when processing is necessary for performing the tasks of the ministry, when it is in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority (pursuant to Article 6 (1) (e) GDPR in conjunction with Article 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). 

We operate our website in cooperation with external service providers. Where personal data is processed (for example, for sending newsletters or processing publication orders), we have put in place organisational and technical measures to ensure that our external service providers comply with data protection regulations. 

Unless otherwise specified, data stored by our website is processed by our main service provider familie redlich digital GmbH, which is located in the Federal Republic of Germany. If personal data is passed on to third parties, the respective page is labelled accordingly. 

With regard to the processing of personal data, visitors of the website of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection enjoy the rights stipulated in Articles 12 to 22 GDPR:

Exercising these rights is free of charge and is provided in line with the user’s information rights. For more information, please contact the data protection officer at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.

In cases where the ministry processes personal data, users have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority for data protection. The competent supervisory authority is:

Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information
Husarenstraße 30
53117 Bonn
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)228 99 7799-0