Germany
Practice Relating to Rule 147. Reprisals against Protected Objects
Section D. Objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population
Germany’s Military Manual (1992), referring, however, to Article 55(2) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, provides: “It is expressly prohibited by agreement to make reprisals against: … objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population”.
Germany’s IHL Manual (1996) provides: “Reprisals are expressly prohibited against … objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population”.
In 1990, in a parliamentary debate on the ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocols, a member of the German Parliament called the prohibition of reprisals as contained in the Additional Protocol I “newly introduced rules”.
Upon ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, Germany declared:
The Federal Republic of Germany will react against serious and systematic violations of the obligations imposed by Additional Protocol I … with all means admissible under international law in order to prevent any further violation.