Legal Regulations

In Germany, the following laws and guidelines must be taken into account

Caves that are not developed for tourism are classified as habitat type 8310 under the European Union’s Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive.

Special areas of conservation must be designated for these habitat types under the FFH Directive. This classification results in particularly strict protection regulations in the event of interventions (see § 6 Habitats Directive Impact Assessment).

Under the Federal Nature Conservation Act, caves and near-natural tunnels are listed as specially protected biotopes.

Under Section 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, certain parts of nature and the landscape that are of particular importance as biotopes are protected by law (general principle).

Actions that could lead to the destruction or other significant impairment of biotopes are prohibited. Biotopes include open rock formations, caves, and near-natural tunnels, rocky and steep coasts, as well as spring areas.

Other karst features, such as dolines and sinkholes, may additionally be protected as biotopes under the individual state nature conservation laws.

Legal Protection of Bats

Pursuant to Section 39(6) of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, it is prohibited to enter caves, tunnels, earth cellars, or similar spaces that serve as winter roosts for bats during the period from October 1 to March 31; this prohibition does not apply to the performance of urgent activities that cause only minor disturbance, nor to areas developed for tourism or heavily used by the public.