Research Cooperation Disaster Law

Law primarily addresses standard situations, but standard situations are threatened by exceptional events (war, natural disasters, etc.). Providing regulations for this is the subject of disaster law and the task of this research project.

Law primarily addresses standards situations and aims to order societal coexistence. However, even a well-ordered community can get off track due to external events (war, natural disasters, etc.), social and technical change, and environmental changes. Behind the “normal” always lurks the exception. Establishing provisions for this is the subject of disaster law; the protection of the civilian population and civilian infrastructure during war times has traditionally been regulated separately in Germany (Zivilschutzrecht, civil protection law); both areas of law, disaster protection law and civil protection law, are combined under the term civil protection law (Bevölkerungsschutzrecht). - The laws applicable to this, bearing such pale names as the Energy Security Act (Energiesicherstellungsgesetz, EnSiG) or the Federal Services Act (Bundesleistungsgesetz, BLG), need updates to meet the threats of the 21st century, as it has come to general awareness not least by the Ukraine war. From a legal science point of view, the task is to systematise existing regulations and discuss perspectives for further development. On the one hand, it is important to take normative precautions, but on the other hand must not normalise the exceptional situation, but to create resilience in order to return society to the normal situation.