Federal Office of Economics and Export Control
The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) in Eschborn near Frankfurt am Main is a federal authority within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi ); it also exerts tasks for other federal ministries.
History and Organization
The history of the Office goes back to the early years of the Republic. Predecessor organizations were the BAFA Federal Office of Economics (BAW ) and the Federal Export Office. The BAW was built in 1954 under the original name of the Federal Office of Small Business in Frankfurt. 1975, moved its headquarters to Eschborn. The Federal Export Office was also established in 1992 against the background of growing risks of proliferation in Eschborn. In the course of the program of the Federal Government "Modern State - Modern Administration " were merged BAW and Federal Export Office Federal Office of Economics and Export Control ( BAFA).
The Office consists of five divisions: Division 1 ( Central Department ) is responsible for the internal management and organization. The departments 2 ( export procedures, authorizations, International regimes - method ) and 3 ( export - art, Professional Technical opinions, International regimes - Technology ) dealing with the Export Control. Division 4 is entrusted with matters of economic development and energy. Division 5 was built for the tasks in the field of climate protection. The departments are divided into sub- departments and units. Employs a total of about 850 people.
President of the Authority is Arnold Wallraff.
Tasks, responsibilities
The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control performs various tasks of economic, security and environmental policy in three major focus.
Foreign Trade
In the area of foreign trade BAFA exerts tasks of export control.
Export controls serve to protect important security interests of the Federal Republic of Germany and the international community, by requiring certain goods for export to certain countries of approval. Such goods are, firstly, armaments, on the other dual-use goods. They are partially included in large lists. Focus of the task of the ACFA is to examine here is whether the export of a license is required and approved. Furthermore, supervised by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control embargo and coordinated by regional regulations, such as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC ) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group ( NSG).
BAFA also supports third countries develop their own export control systems for the European Union.
According to various acts of the European Union BAFA monitors the importation of certain goods ( such as textiles and steel).
Economic Development
The focus of the work to increase the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises through a variety of measures such as the promotion for consulting companies, investments in foreign fairs, individual measures in tourism, craft stands, etc.
Further facilities include a mass support programs such as the scrappage scheme to the tasks of the Office.
Energy and Climate Change
The focus is on energy efficiency and securing a sustainable energy supply by the Federal Office for Energy Efficiency.
The ACFA is involved in the implementation of programs about under the National Climate Initiative, following the specific goals such as the increased use of combined heat and power (CHP ). These include the market incentive programs for renewable energies with which measures in solar thermal, biomass and heat pumps are encouraged.
Another focus is on the certification of CHP plants and in the promotion of small cogeneration plants (CHP). Finally, the measures are directed also to consultants that offer on-site consultations for private consumers to save energy (energy saving consultants), or energy-intensive consumers who are entitled for their efforts in the combined heat and power generation to financial compensation.
Others
Among the new tasks that have been delegated to the BAFA lately, one of the satellite data security law ( SatDSiG ), which provides for the dissemination of remote sensing data for security.