The MPG needs comprehensive insurance against the fire risk for buildings and inventory of its institutes and facilities in Germany, as well as the competence to be able to cover defined risks abroad against fire risk through separate contracts. The latter is based on the fact that the institutes also include institutions that have a branch office abroad or are themselves located abroad. In terms of insurance, a distinction is made between EU and non-EU countries. These locations must also be insured in accordance with compliance.

The desired benefit is an insurance benefit for the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Sciences (MPG). The MPG is an independent non-profit research organization that conducts basic research in the fields of natural sciences, biosciences, humanities and social sciences in its own institutes.

For this purpose, it currently maintains 86 institutes, working groups and research centers, which can be assigned to the following three sections:

• Chemical-physical-technical section

• Biological-medical section

• Humanities, Social and Human Sciences Section.

Institutes that have a branch office abroad or are themselves located abroad are also among the institutes. In terms of insurance, a distinction is made between EU and non-EU countries. These locations must also be insured in accordance with compliance. The insurance contract must include the MPI for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. This foreign institution is the only one that is completely insured against fire risk under the contract in question here.

Irrespective of this, all MPG institutions can set up scientific external projects or working groups on a smaller scale worldwide for a limited period of time and operate them with specific research goals. Since individual recording would be impossible here and even a survey at a reporting date, which is subject to constant change, the flat-rate pension cover included in the current contract is required. All MPG property outside the Federal Republic of Germany must therefore be insured worldwide up to a maximum compensation per claim of €10 million.

Further information on the Max Planck Society and its institutes can also be found on the Internet at www.mpg.de.

MPG is characterized by a high degree of decentralization. Each institution is responsible for managing the financial resources allocated to it. The General Administration is responsible for providing comprehensive support in the performance of administrative tasks.

Each institution prepares its own annual financial statements, which show the respective asset data. In the General Administration, this data is summarized for the overall financial statements of the MPG as part of commercial accounting according to the HGB standard and checked by an auditor.

There is currently a joint fire insurance contract for all MPG facilities, which is designed for a maximum compensation amount of €345 million per claim (independent of the institution). This maximum compensation amount is based on the institution with the greatest risk. In this respect, the risk data of the individual institutions referred to in the paragraph above serve only as an indication for assessing the individual risks, not as a basis for the coverage amount. In terms of content, “... all property of the Max Planck Society or other policyholders, in particular buildings, facilities under construction, operating equipment (scientific inventory, facility inventory, library libraries), inventories and trust assets...” is considered to be insured under this fire insurance.

In view of the risk to be covered, the formation of a consortium is expressly permitted. Consortia must authorize an insurance agent or insurance agent who is entitled to negotiate the contract to be concluded conclusively in the wording, ensures the full validity of the consortium to cover the overall risk and can subsequently act as a “single point of contact”. With regard to a required consortium to cover overall risk, this means that all insurers intended to participate, including the insurance agent/insurance agent, must be designated. The exact proportions do not have to be determined at the time of the request to participate; the ability to ensure full coverage of the risk (100%) must be confirmed.