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The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in Berlin
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in Berlin

Source: Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure

The Federal Logistics and Mobility Office is an independent higher federal authority and an executive agency of the Ministry. It performs numerous functions relating to road haulage and makes a valuable contribution towards enhancing safety on Germany’s roads, in particular by carrying out roadside checks. The agency’s remit was widened with the introduction of the distance-based HGV tolling scheme. This illustrates just how important the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office is in enforcing the market regime in the road haulage sector.

Click on the links below for more information about the responsibilities and organization of this agency.

Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität
Werderstraße 34
50672 Köln

Homepage of the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office

The German Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), with premises in Hamburg and Rostock, is an open and modern agency and the maritime partner for the private sector, the environment and academia. Around 800 persons work in Hamburg and Rostock, at the Hamburg-Sülldorf laboratory and on the 5 survey, wreck search and research vessels.

The BSH's responsibilities are wide-ranging:

  • warning of storm surges in the North and Baltic Seas
  • forecasting and measuring tides and water levels
  • publishing official nautical charts for commercial shipping and charts for recreational and pleasure boating
  • surveying the North and Baltic Seas continuously
  • operating the survey, wreck search and research vessels CAPELLA, DENEB, ATAIR, WEGA and KOMET
  • approving and designating sites for offshore wind turbines
  • approving other maritime construction projects such as pipelines or submarine cables
  • providing services for maritime shipping, such as ship surveying, flag law, International Shipping Register
  • promoting and supporting the German merchant fleet
  • issuing and recognizing international certificates for seafarers
  • inspecting and approving radar, navigation and radio equipment
  • operating the Maritime Library for Germany and the national archive of nautical charts
  • monitoring the marine environment and conducting vessel-based surveys
  • prosecuting the perpetrators of environmental offences
  • analysing oil and water samples at the BSH-owned laboratories
  • representing the Federal Republic of Germany in international bodies and in the EU
  • ensuring international cooperation with other hydrological services, universities and research institutions
  • participating in the International Maritime Organisation IMO

Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency
Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78
20359 Hamburg
Germany
Telephone: +49 40 3190 - 0
posteingang@bsh.de

Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Neptunallee 5
18057 Rostock
Germany
Telephone: +49 381 4563-5
posteingang@bsh.de

Homepage of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency

The Federal Institute of Hydrology is the Federal Government’s scientific institute for water-related research, assessment and advice in the fields of hydrology, water use, water quality, ecology and water protection.

The Institute’s activities are focused on navigable rivers, canals and coastal waters (federal waterways). In this way, it helps the Government to deliver an efficient and environmentally sustainable transport system. As a departmental research institution, the Institute is part of the German scientific landscape and has links with numerous other establishments throughout the world.

Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde
Am Mainzer Tor 1
56068 Koblenz

Homepage of the Federal Institute of Hydrology

The Federal Highway Research Institute is the Federal Government’s field-oriented, technical and scientific research institute in the field of highway research. It addresses the wide range of tasks that result from the relationships between roads, humans and the environment.

It assists the Ministry in making decisions concerning technical and transport policy issues by providing scientific support. Its tasks range from the planning, coordination and implementation of multi-year research projects to responses at short notice to support requests for the current work of the ministry. It has a leading position in the network of national and European research institutes of excellence in the field of highway research. It also makes a decisive contribution to developing requirements and standards worldwide.

The BASt’s responsibilities also include consultancy activities and writing expert opinions. Furthermore, it is responsible for inspections and certifications and is an assessment agency for driver licensing.

Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen
Brüderstraße 53
51427 Bergisch Gladbach

Homepage of the Federal Highway Research Institute

Image film of the Federal Highway Research Institute on Youtube

The Federal Agency for Administrative Services, whose head office is in Aurich, is a central service provider in the Federal Transport and Digital Infrastructure Administration. It performs functions in the fields of personnel, organization, payroll accounting, health insurance assistance, civil service pensions and internal auditing for 64 authorities with a total workforce of around 26,000. In addition, the Federal Agency for Administrative Services provides its customers with a wide range of services and support.

Bundesanstalt für Verwaltungsdienstleistungen
Schloßplatz 9
26603 Aurich

Homepage of the Federal Agency for Administrative Services

The Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute is the central technical-scientific higher federal authority in the fields of construction, upgrading, operation and maintenance of the federal waterways.

Its main responsibility is the conduct of applied research in the following fields: navigable waterway construction, civil engineering (including the design of structures), geotechnical engineering, hydraulic engineering in the inland waterways sector and hydraulic engineering in the coastal waterways sector (including marine engineering). It is also the central documentation and information agency for these fields.

Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau
Kußmaulstr. 17
76187 Karlsruhe

Homepage of the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute

The Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF) is the national supervisory authority overseeing civil air navigation service providers in Germany. Among the its main tasks are ensuring that air navigation service providers comply with the provisions applicable to them and maintaining a high standard of safety. Therefore, it contributes to the creation of a Single European Sky (SES).

The principal responsibilities of the BAF are as follows:

  • certification of air navigation service providers
  • continuous safety oversight
  • administration of air navigation service licences and authorizations
  • verification of EC declarations of verification of systems (interoperability)
  • legal and safety oversight of air navigation service providers
  • safety oversight over the Aeronautical Meteorological Service of the German Meteorological Service
  • protection of air navigation facilities against interference (in accordance with Section 18a of the Civil Aviation Act [LuftVG])
  • supervision of flight inspection and calibration services
  • frequency management in the field of air navigation service applications
  • economic supervision of commercial and operational processes of air navigation service providers
  • providing support to the Ministry in setting air traffic control charges
  • establishment of flight procedures
  • prosecution of infringements of rules governing the operation of aircraft
  • prosecution of flight rule violations and in case of non-compliance of flight procedures

Bundesaufsichtsamt für Flugsicherung
Robert-Bosch-Straße 28
63225 Langen (Hesse)

Website of the Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF)

The Federal Railway Property Agency was created in 1994 as part of the reform of the railways.

It is responsible for performing those state functions of which Deutsche Bahn AG, which operates in a competitive environment, is to be permanently relieved. To pave the way for a successful reform of the railways, the Federal Railway Property Agency has been given the following main functions:

  • personnel management for the civil servants employed by Deutsche Bahn AG and other companies;
  • administration of pensions paid to retired civil servants formerly employed by the railways and to their surviving dependants;
  • management and disposal of property not required by the railways;
  • provision of a medical service (railway doctors);
  • maintenance and continuation of the social facilities for railway staff.

Bundeseisenbahnvermögen
Hauptverwaltung
Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 2
53175 Bonn

Homepage of the Federal Railway Property Agency

The Federal Rail Accident Investigation Body (BEU) investigates dangerous incidents in railway operations on the basis of Sections 6 and 7 of the Federal Railway Administration Act (BEVVG) and section 5b of the General Railways Act (AEG). In this context, it has the right to make safety recommendations to improve railway safety at any time.

Since the investigations pursue only the aim of improving railway safety and preventing future accidents, they must be strictly separated from criminal, liability-related and civil law proceedings and conducted independently of these.

Bundesstelle für Eisenbahnunfalluntersuchung
Heinemannstraße 6
53175 Bonn

Website of the Federal Rail Accident Investigation Body (BEU)

The Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation is responsible for investigating accidents and serious incidents involving the operation of aircraft in Germany, and for determining and correcting their causes.

Aircraft accidents or incidents have to be reported to the agency, which is manned around the clock. The Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation is based in Braunschweig.

Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung
Hermann-Blenk-Str. 16
38108 Braunschweig

Homepage of the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation is responsible for improving the precautions taken to ensure the safety of maritime shipping, including the health and safety of seafarers employed on sea-going ships. By investigating incidents that cause pollution or risks, the agency is also responsible for the interests of marine environmental protection.

Bundesstelle für Seeunfalluntersuchung
Bernhard-Nocht-Staße 78
20359 Hamburg

Homepage of the Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation

The German Meteorological Service, with its headquarters in Offenbach, is the Federal Republic of Germany’s "Met Office". Its main task is to provide warnings of weather-related dangers and to provide forecasting services to ensure the safety of aviation and shipping. In the field of the environment and climate, its range of services comprises environmental advice, climate monitoring plus medical meteorology, hydrometeorology and agricultural meteorology.

Deutscher Wetterdienst
Frankfurter Straße 135
63067 Offenbach

Homepage of the German Meteorological Service

The Federal Railway Authority (EBA) is the German supervisory, licensing and safety authority for railway infrastructure companies and railway undertakings. It supervises around 400 railway undertakings of different sizes, a route network of more than 30,000 line kilometres and a fleet of well over 200,000 vehicles. Some regional railways are supervised by the federal states, although in many cases the latter exercise the option of ceding this supervision to the Federal Railway Authority. The tasks of the EBA also include: Plan approval for facilities of the federal railways, registration of rolling stock and railway infrastructure, granting of different funds that the Federal Government provides for railway infrastructure as well as the assertion of European passenger rights in bus/coach, rail and shipping transport. Furthermore, the EBA is responsible for various tasks in an international context. More than 300 people are employed in the headquarters in Bonn, who perform all the authority’s tasks with a supraregional or general character. A further 700 staff members, who work at 12 regional offices in 15 locations, perform operational activities on the ground.

Eisenbahn-Bundesamt
Heinemannstraße 6
53175 Bonn

Homepage of the Federal Railway Authority

The Federal Trunk Road Authority (FBA) is an independent supervisory and licensing authority for the federal motorways and other federal trunk roads and is an executive agency of the Federal Ministry of Transport. It was established as a higher federal authority effective from 1 October 2018.

In the context of the reorganization of financial relations between the Federal Government and the federal states, in 2017, a decision was made to restructure the Federal Trunk Roads Administration. In 2021, the administrative powers with regard to the federal motorways delegated to the federal states were transferred to a separate federal administrative body. Hence, it is the Federal Government alone that plans, constructs, operates, maintains and manages the federal motorways. This is implemented practically via a dedicated Federal limited liability company, Autobahn GmbH. The statutory tasks that are neither the responsibility of the Ministry nor are delegated to the Federal Autobahn GmbH are performed by the Federal Trunk Road Authority (FBA).

The responsibilities of the Federal Trunk Road Authority include:

  • dedication, reclassification and stopping-up
  • granting approval on decisions taken by the supreme federal state highway authorities on dedicating and upgrading the status of federal motorways and federal highways;
  • determination of the planning and alignment of federal trunk roads
  • plan approval and planning permission for the construction or modification of federal motorways including the mandatory consultations
  • legal and technical supervision of the Federal Autobahn GmbH (as far as the delegation of statutory tasks is concerned)
  • provision of assistance to the Ministry in supervising the delegation of administrative powers to the federal states, the development of laws, regulations and administrative provisions, cooperation between states

The authority’s registered office is in Leipzig. Other locations are Hannover, Bonn and Gießen.

Fernstraßen-Bundesamt
Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 72-78
04109 Leipzig

Website of the Federal Trunk Road Authority (FBA)

Havariekommando Logo

Source: Havariekommando

The Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) is Germany’s organisation for maritime emergency management and the coordination of complex emergency scenarios in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. It takes action if many human lives, the environment, material assets of significant value or the safety and efficiency of navigation are at risk due to an accident or another emergency at sea. In these cases, the CCME assumes overall command and ensures consistent, safe and targeted action of all rescue services. On an everyday basis, the CCME is the German centre of competence for maritime emergency preparedness. On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, it also monitors the German sea areas to detect marine pollution; for this purpose, it closely cooperates with the German Navy.

The CCME is a joint institution of the Federal Government and the five federal coastal states. It was founded in 2003 to enable a better response to maritime emergency scenarios. The accident of the wood freighter ‘Pallas’ in 1998, which resulted in an ecological disaster, among other things because of unclear responsibilities, is considered the birth of the CCME.

The CCME has about 50 employees and is based in Cuxhaven. Every year, the CCME conducts around 100 exercises and training sessions with its partner organisations.

Havariekommando
Am Alten Hafen 2
27472 Cuxhaven

CCME website

The Federal Motor Transport Authority provides a great deal of information to the authorized police forces, the Federal Police, courts and public prosecutor's offices via the Central Transport Information System. It is also the central agency for the Europe-wide exchange of keeper and vehicle data. It compiles and publishes interesting statistics on the basis of the data in the central registers as well as on vehicle defects and freight transport. The Federal Motor Transport Authority has offices in Flensburg and Dresden.

Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt
Fördestraße 16
24944 Flensburg

Homepage of the Federal Motor Transport Authority

The Federal Aviation Office was established as a higher federal authority to perform civil aviation functions. It comprises the headquarters in Braunschweig and regional offices in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and Berlin. The responsibilities of the Federal Aviation Office are governed by the Act on the Federal Aviation Office. Its prime objective is to ensure aviation safety and security.

Luftfahrt-Bundesamt
Hermann-Blenk-Straße 26
38108 Braunschweig

Homepage of the Federal Aviation Office

The Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) is responsible for ensuring a safe, smoothly flowing and thus economically efficient shipping traffic. The tasks comprise the maintenance, operation as well as the upgrading and construction of the federal waterways including the locks, weirs, bridges and shiplifts.

The responsibility of the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration extends to a total of 23,000 km² of maritime waterways and approximately 7,300 km of inland waterways. In addition, we maintain Vessel Traffic Service Centres at waterways in the coastal area and traffic control centres at inland waterways and we use special vessels for different specialist tasks (buoy laying, emergency missions, direction-finding etc.).

Around the clock, our experts on the water and ashore ensure safe traffic flows.

Our leitmotif is: “Facilitate mobility and protect the environment!”

Homepage of the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV)

Movies by the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV)