[Municipal Health Promotion in Germany: Duties, Rights and Potential].

Municipalities have an overarching structure in health promotion. Due to the right to self-government, municipalities are in charge of both voluntary and obligatory tasks. Some of the original and fundamental tasks can be summarized as "services to the public". Current common definitions do not include the term "health promotion". In the present study, a sub-target of a joint project, legal acts, requirements and recommendations were researched and analyzed. The results show substantive cornerstones of health promotion in various regulations of different disciplines. Based on these findings, health promotion can be interpreted as being part of services to the public. Currently the regulations for education, social tasks, environmental and consumer protection constitute the legal framework for community health promotion, but also include constitutions. They range from public international law to municipal resolutions. Quality management and also quality development are already an integral part in some communal departments. The management of structures, processes and results arises from commitments or measurable targets. In contrast, quality management for health promotion is not based on binding requirements. Specifications of other neighboring sectors (e. g. education, social sector) demonstrate the potential and effectiveness of legal policy guidelines, seen as a frame. A transparent communication about the current regulations is indispensable for formulating future guidelines. The German National Prevention Act opens opportunities for municipalities. However, its interpretation and local engagement will still guide the practice of communal health promotion.