The goals and tasks of the NMZB are summarised on the website Goals.

The main tasks of the centre are to advance the national biodiversity monitoring, to provide information on biodiversity monitoring centrally and transparently, to advise and connect stakeholders and interested parties, to advance data storage and management, and to support networking with European and international activities. For the NMZB head office, the specific tasks are presented on the head office website.

The NMZB's orientation is determined by its committees in different ways. The Steering Committee sets the overarching political-strategic framework for the activities of the Monitoring Centre. The Principal Expert Committee defines the technical tasks of the NMZB and sets priorities for implementation. In the expert committees, the relevant topics are discussed in detail and the Monitoring Centre is advised on specific issues.

More detailed information on the decision-making processes of the NMZB can be found on the website Committees.

Caused by the worldwide loss of biodiversity and especially the debate on insect mortality, the Federal Government decided to establish the National Monitoring Centre for Biodiversity. This was supported by the relevant departments of the concerned ministries (BMUV, BMBF, BMEL, BMF, BMDV, BMVg). The aim of the Monitoring Centre is to advance nationwide biodiversity monitoring through the cooperation of all stakeholders, to connect all those involved and to provide information. The Monitoring Centre is intended to create a firm foundation for bringing together all knowledge on the state of species and habitats in Germany and making it accessible in the future. By that, we want to significantly improve the database on developments in biological diversity. Further background information can be found under Background.

At least two years are planned for the establishment phase from the foundation of the NMZB (26 March 2021). The milestones of the establishment phase are:

• Establishment of the head office and the committees
• Expansion of the website and development of the information and networking platform
• Development of an overall concept for nationwide biodiversity monitoring
• Bringing together and connecting monitoring stakeholders
• Establishment of the "Application and Research in Dialogue" forum

Since launching the NMZB on 26 March 2021, the following activities have been implemented:

• establishment, trainings, induction of the first team members
• Creation of an "interim website" as a transition to the planned information and networking platform
• Comprehensive research work on monitoring programmes, biodiversity data, influencing factors etc.
• Preparation of first profiles on monitoring programmes
• Participation in EU activities (Biodiversity Partnership, Standards Committees)
• Support of national activities (LTER-D, NFDI, MonVIA, FeDA etc.)
• Appointment of the Steering Committee and the Principal Expert Committee, establishment of first expert committees, holding of first meetings

By affiliating the NMZB head office at the BfN, long-standing, broad-based structures can be used and systematically expanded in a way that increases efficiency. The head office is not integrated as an organisational unit within one of the BfN's specialist departments deliberately, but as an independent unit. The decision was made in accordance with a lengthy discussion process with the relevant ministries and numerous biodiversity stakeholders.