German Advisory Council on the Environment
Name: The German Advisory Council on the Environment (Sachverständigenrat für Umweltfragen, SRU)
Established in: 1971 (The German Advisory Council on the Environment has been active since then)
Role: The Council is an expert advisory body whose mission is to describe and assess environmental conditions, problems and political trends, and to point out solutions and preventive measures. The Council can provide both solicited and unsolicited advice to the government but is independent in all its decisions
Duties: The Council is tasked to: prepare an Environmental Report every four years and present it to the Federal German Government; provide advice on specific environmental problems via special reports; issue Statements and Comments in which it formulates recommendations on topical environmental questions, e.g. in relation to ongoing legislative processes.
Composition: The Council has seven members, all university professors from different disciplines who have special expert knowledge and experience in matters of environmental protection. Members are appointed on an ad personam basis for four years.
The secretariat: The SRU has a secretariat that includes 17 staff members. In addition to the secretariat staff, the Council members are assisted by part-time scientific assistants.
