Geological Data Act (GeolDG)

The Geological Data Act (GeolDG) became effective on 30 June 2020. It replaces the 1934 Repositories Act (Lagerstättengesetz, LagerstG). The GeolDG regulates the mapping tasks of the federation and the Länder. Furthermore, the transmission, permanent storage and public provision of geological data as well as the accessibility of geological data for public duties. This serves the public mission of ensuring a sustainable stewardship of geological subsoil resources as well as to identify and assess geological hazards.

The Geological Data Act establishes a comprehensive obligation to secure geological data for the purpose of preservation, permanent readability and availability of those data for all existing and future geological tasks of the Federal Government and the Federal States.

The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) is in charge of the GeolDG’s enforcement in the area of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf of the Federal Republic of Germany. BGR has to be notified of planned geological investigations in this area and the results have to be transmitted to BGR.

You can view the notices issued for the established categories (verification, technical and assessment data) at the web address https://geologiedatengesetz.bgr.de/bescheide.

Source: BGR