The RSK advises the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) in safety-related matters and thus matters concerning the physical protection of nuclear installations and radioactive waste management.* Further information on consultations and the topics dealt with are given in Chapter IV. Processes - 11. Consultations of the Reactor Safety Commission (RSK) and handling of the results (on page 75) of the Manual on cooperation between the Federation and the Länder in atomic law. Click here for the document (in German).

Since 1958, the RSK has been performing this advisory work for the federal ministry responsible for the safety of nuclear installations and radiation protection (since 2025 the BMUKN, formerly the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (2022 - 2025), formerly the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (2018-2022), the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (2013-2018), the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (1986-2013), the Federal Ministry of the Interior (1972-1986), the Federal Ministry for Education and Science (1969-1972), the Federal Ministry of Scientific Research (1962-1969), the Federal Ministry of Nuclear Energy and Water (1958-1962)).

* With the establishment of the NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION (Entsorgungskommission - ESK) at the BMUV on 12.06.2008 and its first meeting on 30.06.2008, radioactive waste management has become a topic of consultations of the ESK (www.entsorgungskommission.de); the RSK Committee on FUEL SUPPLY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT (VE) ceased to exist.