Method for activating galvanized steel plate that is to be phosphated

The invention relates to a method for activating metal surfaces, in particular coated steel plate, preferably galvanized steel plate before a phosphating process, wherein the in particular coated, preferably electrolytically galvanized metal plate (2') is brought into contact with an activation bath (6) which contains activation particles dispersed in water, preferably based on phosphate and/or titanium. In order to reduce or even to resolve the problem of poor paint adhesion to preferably electrolytically galvanized, phosphated strip metal, according to the invention, at least one additive (A), which suppresses or at least slows an agglomeration of the activation particles, is supplied to the activation bath (6). Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and/or sodium stearate is preferably added as additive (A). In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the particle size distribution of the activation particles in the activation bath (6) is identified and the activation bath (6) is re