In its 2004 report "Data and information", the International Council for Science (ICSU) strongly recommended a new strategic framework for scientific data and information. On an initiative from a working group from the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA), the German Research Foundation (DFG) has started the project "Publication and Citation of Scientific Primary Data" as part of the program "Information-infrastructure of network -based scientific-cooperation and digital publication" in 2004. Starting with the field of earth science, the German National Library of Science and Technology (TIB) is now established as a registration agency for scientific primary data as a member of the International DOI Foundation (IDF).