Privacy Policy

Responsible handling of personal data is a priority for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. We want our users to know which data is being collected when and for which purpose by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, a public authority within the Federal Republic of Germany that does not have legal capacity, operates a website hosted on the www.bmwk.de domain. This website serves to provide information about the ministry’s activities and to give the public easy access to information.

We do not process personal data beyond what is necessary. What data we will need and process on what basis and for what purpose will much depend on the type of service you are using, and on the purpose for which the data is required.

We have taken technical and organisational measures to ensure that both we as well as external service providers comply with the provisions governing data protection.

The processing of personal data at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is handled in accordance with the  European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG).

1. Responsibility and Data Protection Officer

Responsibility for the processing of personal data lies with the

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
(Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz)
Scharnhorststr. 34-37
10115 Berlin
Postal address: 11019 Berlin
Email:
Internet: www.bmwk.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 18615 0

If you have any specific questions about the protection of your data at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, please contact the Ministry’s Data Protection Officer:

Data Protection Officer for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Scharnhorststr. 34-37
10115 Berlin
Email:

2. Processing of data resulting from your visit to this website

This website is supported by Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and hosted on servers of Forschungszentrum Jülich.

Whenever a website is visited, data needed to provide the service requested is collected and exchanged. The data concerned is:

  • IP address
  • type and version of your browser
  • the operating system used
  • the web page accessed
  • the page previously visited (referrer URL)
  • the time of server request

This data is stored in log files on an external server at our service provider "Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH" even after your visit to the website.

When using this general data and information, Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH will not draw any conclusions regarding the person concerned. This information is rather required (1) to correctly deliver content on our website, (2) to optimize content for delivery on our website, (3) to ensure the permanent operability of our IT systems and website technology and (4) to provide prosecuting authorities with the information necessary for prosecution in the event of a cyber-attack. The data and information collected anonymously by Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH is analysed for statistical purposes and with the aim of increasing data protection and data security in order to ultimately guarantee optimum protection of the personal data processed by Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH. Server log file data is stored separately from all the personal data provided by any person concerned. The legal basis for data processing is Article 6 (1) (e) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in conjunction with Section 3 of the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) and Section 5 of the Act on the Federal Office for Information Security (BSIG).

Statistics

PtJ uses the web analysis service Matomo to analyse the use of the energieforschung.de portal.

The portal only sets cookies for the web analysis if you as a user explicitly agree to this. Without your explicit consent, the use of the portal is therefore analysed without cookies and to a limited extent. This web analysis without cookies corresponds to the default setting of the portal.

Web analysis without cookies

Without cookies, web analysis is based on random factors. These factors are automated by Matomo and randomly selected every 24 hours. Random factors may include, for example, the browser and operating system used by the user and the anonymised IP address. In this case, anonymised means that two bytes of the IP address are masked (example: 192.168.xxx.xxx). The shortened IP address can no longer be assigned to the accessing computer.

The user is identified in the web analysis without cookies by the individual combination of the (non-personal) random factors. In this way, you as a user remain anonymous.

The following data is stored during the web analysis without cookies:

  • anonymised IP address of the user
  • date and time
  • URL of the page accessed
  • sub-pages that are accessed from the accessed website
  • website from which the user accessed the accessed website (referrer)
  • screen resolution
  • time in the local time zone
  • files that were clicked on and downloaded
  • clicks on an external link
  • time the pages were generated
  • country, region, city
  • browser's main language
  • browser user agent
  • time spent on the website

This data allows the portal's editorial team to see, among other things, how many people have visited the website and which content is particularly relevant to users. These insights can be used to better tailor the website to the needs of users.

Web analysis with cookies

When you first visit the portal, you will be asked whether you agree to the setting of cookies in addition to the standard analysis without cookies. These analysis and optimisation cookies are optional and will only be set with your explicit consent (consent according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a DSGVO).

If you consent to the web analysis with cookies, Matomo sets a permanent cookie (_pk_id.) and a session cookie (_pk_ses.).

The persistent cookie is used to recognise visitors to the portal even after a long time. This information is stored as a text file on your computer's hard drive. The persistent cookie is valid for a total of 13 months. After 13 months, the cookie deletes itself.

The session cookie is a small piece of information that Matomo stores in your computer's memory. A randomly generated, unique identification number, a so-called session ID, is stored in a session cookie. The cookie also contains information about its origin and the storage period. The software uses session cookies to enable unique identification of visitors. The session cookie is automatically deleted after 30 minutes.

In the case of web analysis with cookies, the user is therefore identified by the cookies. In this way, you as a user remain anonymous.

The cookies enable an extended web analysis for the portal: in addition to the data that is registered and stored without cookies (see above), the frequency with which a user accesses the website is now also stored.

The advanced web analysis allows the portal's editorial team to see, among other things, whether users visit the portal repeatedly (returning users) and at what intervals they return. These insights can be used to tailor the website even better to the needs of users.

If you wish to adjust an existing decision for or against cookies for web analysis (e.g. to agree to the cookies after all or to revoke an existing consent), you can make this adjustment in the settings. The change will then apply for your further visits to the portal.

The following applies to both types of analysis (with and without cookies):

As a user of the portal, you remain anonymous.

The analysis software runs exclusively on PtJ servers. The information on the use of the energy research portal is only stored there. The data will not be passed on to third parties.

Cookies

Please note that the providers Twitter, YouTube and Google are based in a country outside the European Union, in this case the United States, i.e. a “third country” within the meaning of the GDPR. In its decision of July 16, 2020, Case C-311/18 ("Schrems II"), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) declared the European Commission's decision on EU-U.S. data protection obligations (Privacy Shield Decision 2016/1250) invalid. A data protection level that is essentially comparable to the European data protection standards does not exist in the U.S.

As a result, there is no adopted adequacy decision by the European Commission with regard to the transfer of personal data to the U.S. within the meaning of Art. 45 (1), (3) GDPR. Furthermore, there are no so-called suitable guarantees within the meaning of Art. 46 (2), (3) GDPR, which enable a corresponding level of protection without further measures. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that a company based in the U.S. may grant government agencies access to the processed personal data. Therefore, personal data could be passed on to third parties. It may not be possible to enforce the rights of those affected.

Therefore, the transfer of data (IP address) in the context of the use of Twitter, YouTube or Google is only possible with your express consent in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR.

Please activate Javascript in order to see the list of all declared cookies and similar techniques.

Use of the external search engine "Google CSE"

The Google Custom Search Engine "Google CSE" is the main search engine used within the online service of Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH. The integrated search engine enables the search for full-text content in the entire official online service of Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH. The search function can be accessed through the search box in the header of each web page of this website.

For the information of the user visiting the online service of Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH the search box is labelled "Search with Google™" . If the user selects the input field in the search box and types in a keyword, an additional link below the search box will appear and refer to the information on data protection ("Information on data transfer within the Google™ Search"), which applies within the framework of Google CSE.

Activating the search

By entering a keyword into the search box and confirming it by clicking the enter button or the search icon (magnifying glass icon), the user activates the search function and with that the search results page, which by means of a plugin provided by Google reloads the search results from Google. During this process, data is transferred to Google.

Search results page

The plug-in (Google Custom Search Engine “Google CSE“), developed and provided by Google, is integrated by Projektträger Jülich, Forschungzentrum Jülich as a software modul “as-is” (unchanged) into the search results page. When the search results page is viewed, the plug-in enables an automated communication (data exchange) between the viewed search results page and the service of Google. Using the search function provided by Google includes a dynamic transfer of data to the search result page by the service provider Google.

Transferring data to Google CSE

Data will be transferred to Google as soon as the user activates the search box, starts a full text search and by so doing activates the search result page. When the search function within the search result page is used, the user's data is simultaneously transferred to Google. When official websites of Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH are visited without activating the Google Custom Search Engine, basically no data will be transferred to the provider of the search service (Google). An exception applies in cases in which users directly reference a search result page.

Consent to data transfer by using Google Search

By using the full-text search and the following viewing of the search results page, you consent to the transfer of data to the service of Google. This includes, for example, the words you searched and the IP address of the computer you used.

Please note that the standards for data protection of the online service of Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH differ from the ones that apply for Google! We explicitly bring to your attention that the processing and, particularly the storaging, deleting and using of possibly transferred personal data is the responsibility of the provider of the search service and that the provider of the online presence of Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH has no influence on the amount and type of transferred data as well as its further processing.

As long as you are logged in Google simultaneously, the service of Google will be able to directly assign the information to your user profile. If you wish to avoid the collection of personal information about your profile, you should log out from your Google account.

You will find further information from Google about the handling of user data (privacy policy) on policies.google.com/privacy

3. Collection of personal data when you contact us

This website contains information which supports quick digital contact and direct communication with us, including a general email address. Once a user makes contact with the entity responsible for processing or with the service provider by email or via a contact form, the personal data provided by the user will be stored automatically. Such data provided on a voluntary basis by the user to the entity responsible for processing will be stored for processing purposes or for contacting the user. The legal basis for this is Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR and Article 6 (1) (e) GDPR in conjunction with Section 3 of the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG).

The data you provide is stored for the sole purpose of responding to your enquiry and in accordance with the statutory and contractual requirements. If the staff of Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich are unable to respond to your enquiry, it will be forwarded to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

The staff of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action will process the data communicated only to respond to your enquiry. In those cases the data is stored in accordance with the statutory time limits for retaining records set out in the Registry Directive (Registraturrichtlinie, RegR), which applies in conjunction with the Joint Rules of Procedure of the Federal Ministries (Gemeinsame Geschäftsordnung der Bundesministerien, GGO).

Where the enquiry involves a matter which concerns another service provider or funding recipient of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action or which can only be answered by that service provider or funding recipient, the enquiry will be forwarded to that party together with the personal data required for responding to your enquiry. The service provider or funding recipient processes your data for the sole purpose of responding to your enquiry and in accordance with the statutory and contractual requirements.

In those cases, the data will be passed on in compliance with Article 6 (1) (e) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in conjunction with Section 3 of the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) for the purpose of fulfilling the tasks of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

Furthermore, it may be necessary for the purposes of legal and operational supervision to disclose your available personal data to those authorities supervised by us in connection with your enquiry. In those cases, the data will be forwarded in accordance with Section 25 (1) BDSG in conjunction with Section 23 (1) (6) BDSG.

Under Section 1 of the Act on the Powers of the Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag (Gesetz über die Befugnisse des Petitionsausschusses des Deutschen Bundestages, GGArt45cG), the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is required to transmit your personal data to the Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag where it is necessary for the purpose of preparing decisions on complaints in accordance with Article 17 of the Basic Law for der Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz, GG).

4. Social networks

This website enables users to share content via the social networks Facebook or Twitter while ensuring that no data is sent to the social network until the user clicks on the Share function.

5. Your rights

You have the following rights vis-à-vis the data controller concerning your personal data:

  • right of access (Article 15 GDPR)
  • right to rectification (Article 16 GDPR)
  • right to erasure (Article 17 GDPR)
  • right to restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR)
  • right to object to collection, processing and/or use (Article 21 GDPR)
  • right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR)
  • If the personal data is processed on the basis of your consent (in accordance with Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR), you can withdraw your consent at any time for the purpose in question. The lawfulness of processing your personal data on the basis of the consent provided by you remains valid until your withdrawal of consent has been received.

You may exercise the aforementioned rights by sending an email to .

Furthermore, you have the right to submit a complaint to the supervisory authority under data protection law (Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information).

You may also address any questions or complaints to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Data Protection Officer at .