Apparatus for contactlessly removing an electrostatic charge double layer from a sheet-like material, which is electrically essentially insulating and is being conveyed, containing: - a contactless compensation device, which is arranged such that it is adjacent to the sheet-like material in a first region (neutralization region) and is intended to supply charge carriers to one side of the sheet-like material in the first region for the purpose of at least partially compensating for the charges at least in one layer plane of the charge double layer; wherein the compensation device itself has a charging electrode, which is connected to a high-voltage source and lies opposite a first conductive element with respect to the side of the sheet-like material and supplies gas ions and free electrons to the material; - a second electrically conductive element, which is adjacent to the sheet-like material in a second region (measurement region) and forms an electrical opposite potential to the electrical potential of the charging layer on the opposite surface of the sheet-like material, in order to form an electrical near field proceeding from the side facing away from said surface; and - a field strength measurement device, which is assigned to the second region and is intended to record the field strength of the near field; wherein the input of the compensation device is connected to the field strength measurement device and is designed for the controlled supply of charge carriers to the material in response to the recording result, and wherein the second region is remote from the first region in the conveying direction of the sheet-like material; wherein the first electrically conductive element in the first region is a non-rotating element, which does not make contact with the sheet-like material and is arranged on the side of the sheet-like material facing away from the compensation device and adjacent to the sheet-like material in order to form an electrical near field; wherein the second electrically conductive element in the second region is a rotating element which makes contact with the sheet-like material, and wherein discharging electrodes downstream of the rotating element are provided to remove any remaining unipolar charges on the two surfaces of the material web. - a contactless compensation device, which is arranged such that it is adjacent to the sheet-like material in a first region (neutralization region) and is intended to supply charge carriers to one side of the sheet-like material in the first region for the purpose of at least partially compensating for the charges at least in one layer plane of the charge double layer; wherein the compensation device itself has a charging electrode, which is connected to a high-voltage source and lies opposite a first conductive element with respect to the side of the sheet-like material and supplies gas ions and free electrons to the material; - a second electrically conductive element, which is adjacent to the sheet-like material in a second region (measurement region) and forms an electrical opposite potential to the electrical potential of the charging layer on the opposite surface of the sheet-like material, in order to form an electrical near field proceeding from the side facing away from said surface; and - a field strength measurement device, which is assigned to the second region and is intended to record the field strength of the near field; wherein the input of the compensation device is connected to the field strength measurement device and is designed for the controlled supply of charge carriers to the material in response to the recording result, and wherein the second region is remote from the first region in the conveying direction of the sheet-like material; wherein the first electrically conductive element in the first region is a non-rotating element, which does not make contact with the sheet-like material and is arranged on the side of the sheet-like material facing away from the compensation device and adjacent to the sheet-like material in order to form an electrical near field; wherein the second electrically conductive element in the second region is a rotating element which makes contact with the sheet-like material, and wherein discharging electrodes downstream of the rotating element are provided to remove any remaining unipolar charges on the two surfaces of the material web.