Institutional models of National Geological Surveys

Abstract

In Poland, the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute, which has the organizational and legal form of a research institute, is responsible for the tasks of the National Geological Survey. The Institute holds organizational and financial independence, which allows it to conduct research and development. Therefore, performing the tasks of the Polish Geological Survey is one of the elements of the Institute’s activity.
The organizational and legal form of the National Geological Survey may differ depending on how the country pursues its raw materials policy, as well as on its legal system and the structure of the country. National Geological Surveys may be subordinate to different ministries and they may carry out tasks related to the Geological Survey at several levels (national, regional).
This publication will present selected institutional models of the National Geological Surveys of several countries, including EU Member States. Their analysis will allow to demonstrate the diverse organizational and legal forms of the National Geological Surveys and to give answers whether the National Geological Surveys perform only traditional tasks in the field of geology, or whether they implement a broader catalogue of state tasks.