Federal Office of Economics and Export Control

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Federal Office of Economics and Export Control
- BAFA -

logo
State level Federation
position Higher federal authority
legal form direct state administration
Supervisory authority Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
founding 1954
Headquarters Eschborn , Hesse
Authority management Torsten Safarik , President
Servants 1164 plus 30 trainees
Web presence www.bafa.de

The Federal Office for Economics and Export Control ( BAFA ) in Eschborn near Frankfurt am Main is a higher federal authority within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry for Economics and Energy ; it also performs tasks for other federal ministries.

History and organization

In 1946 the Central Economic Office was founded as the central economic administration, from which the Economic Administration Office emerged after the economic merger of the American and British zones in the summer of 1946 . In 1947 - after the political amalgamation - the administration for the economy of the united economic area developed from this .

After the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1951, the economic policy tasks were transferred to the Federal Ministry of Economics , while the executive tasks remained with the authority, henceforth called the Federal Agency for the Movement of Goods in Trade and Industry .

In 1954, the Federal Office of Economics was finally established in Frankfurt under the original name of the Federal Office of Commerce . In 1975 it moved its headquarters to Eschborn. The Federal Export Office was also founded in Eschborn in 1992 against the background of growing proliferation risks .

As part of the federal government's program “Modern State - Modern Administration”, the BAW and the Federal Export Office were merged in 2001 to form the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. The current office (as of August 2020) consists of the following six departments:

  • Department 1 (central department) is responsible for internal administration and organization.
  • Department 2 (export procedures, permits, international regime procedures, outreach projects) deals with the procedural side of export control.
  • Department 3 (export technology, technical statements, international regime technology) deals with the technical side of export control.
  • Department 4 (Business and SME Promotion) is entrusted with funding programs within the framework of business and SME promotion.
  • Department 5 (Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energies, Special Compensation Regulations) is responsible for tasks and funding programs in the area of ​​renewable energies and energy efficiency.
  • Department 6 (Auditor Oversight Office (APAS)) exercises technical supervision over the Chamber of Auditors and investigates members of the profession and auditing companies who carry out audits of companies of public interest.

The departments are divided into sub-departments and sections. BAFA employs around 1,100 civil servants and employees. A branch office with 100 employees in Weißwasser is to start work by March 2020 .

Torsten Safarik has been President of the authority since June 2019 . He succeeded Andreas Obersteller after his two-year term in office. This in turn was followed by Arnold Wallraff , who held the office for ten years. He succeeded Bernhard Heitzer, who was appointed in 2004, after a three-year term of office. Wolfgang Danner acted as the first BAFA President .

Tasks, responsibilities

BAFA headquarters in Eschborn

The Federal Office performs important federal administrative tasks in the areas of foreign trade, business and medium-sized business development, energy and the auditor's oversight body.

Export control

In the field of foreign trade, BAFA performs export control tasks .

Export controls serve to protect the security interests of the Federal Republic of Germany and the international community. For example, certain goods require a license to be exported to certain countries . Such goods are, on the one hand, armaments that are subject to the War Weapons Control Act and are to be documented in war weapons books, and on the other hand goods with a dual purpose (dual-use goods). Some of them are recorded in extensive lists. The main focus of BAFA's task is to check whether the export of a good is subject to approval and whether it can be approved. The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control also monitors embargoes and coordinates supra-regional regulations such as the Chemical Weapons Convention or the Nuclear Suppliers Group .

On behalf of the European Union , BAFA also supports third countries in setting up their own export control systems.

In addition, BAFA is responsible for the approval of private security services on seagoing ships with the aim of countering pirates.

In the field of foreign trade, BAFA grants permits for the import of commercial goods into the EU (e.g. wood, textiles and steel).

energy

In the field of energy, BAFA promotes energy-efficient technologies such as cross-sectional technologies , combined heat and power , air conditioning and refrigeration systems, and heating networks. Measures to save energy are also promoted, for example energy advice for residential buildings, energy advice for medium-sized businesses, energy management systems for companies and advice on energy-saving contracting for municipalities. The Federal Agency for Energy Efficiency (BfEE) plays a central role in BAFA, which supports the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in questions of energy efficiency , monitors the energy service market and prepares the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NAPE) for the federal government . With grants under the market incentive program, BAFA encourages the use of renewable energies. Finally, BAFA implements the special equalization scheme to limit the EEG surcharge for electricity-intensive companies. In addition to electric cars , BAFA also supports plug-in hybrids .

Business and SME promotion

The focus of economic development is on the implementation of programs for small and medium-sized companies, such as the promotion of inter-company vocational training institutions, the promotion of entrepreneurial knowledge and the "INVEST - grant for venture capital " funding program . The INVEST grant for venture capital is intended to support young, innovative companies in their search for a capital provider and to  encourage private investors - especially business angels - to make venture capital available for these companies. In addition, BAFA supports various export initiatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in the field of foreign trade promotion. The aim of promoting medium-sized companies is to reduce existing competitive disadvantages in small and medium-sized companies compared to large corporations. At the same time, an effective contribution to employment policy should be made, the willingness to set up a business should be increased and the risk of inadequate adjustment to permanent structural change should be prevented. Other tasks include: B. the implementation of the Satellite Data Security Act (SatDSiG), the compensation for wireless microphone systems (equity compensation) and the review of the pharmaceutical manufacturer discounts.

Auditor supervision

In addition to the technical supervision of the Chamber of Public Accountants, it is in particular the task of the APAS to carry out spot checks on members of the profession and auditing companies that carry out audits of companies of public interest without any particular reason. In addition, there are case-related investigations if, for example, there are concrete indications of violations of professional obligations from inspections. Finally, APAS contributes to improving the quality of examinations through active participation in the European and international committees of the examiner oversight. The APAS takes over the tasks of the previous honorary auditor oversight commission. The establishment of the APAS is based on the Auditor Oversight Reform Act, which implements European regulations into national law.

Web links

Coordinates: 50 ° 8 ′ 4.2 ″  N , 8 ° 34 ′ 16 ″  E

Individual evidence

  1. a b BAFA: President of BAFA . In: bafa.de . Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  2. Federal Budget 2020 - Section 12 - Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Federal Ministry of Finance, accessed on August 27, 2020 (overview of positions: pages 198–202; trainees: page 190).
  3. a b c BAFA: BAFA: History . In: bafa.de . Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  4. BAFA: Merging of the Federal Office of Economics with the Federal Export Office . In: bafa.de . Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. December 21, 2000. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  5. Structure. Federal Office of Economics and Export Control, accessed on August 27, 2020 .
  6. 100 new jobs in Weißwasser. In: Weißwasseraner Anzeiger. BeierMedia / Thomas Beier, November 27, 2019, accessed on December 1, 2019 .
  7. BAFA - press releases - change in the leadership of the Federal Office for Economics and Export Control. Retrieved March 7, 2017 .
  8. BAFA: Farewell to BAFA President Dr. Bernhard Heitzer . In: bafa.de . Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. March 29, 2007. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  9. BAFA: Invitation to the ceremony . In: bafa.de . Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. March 7, 2001. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  10. BAFA: BAFA export control: tasks . In: ausfuhrkontrolle.info . Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  11. BAFA: BAFA: Energy . In: bafa.de . Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.