The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sterilizing an article for a pharmaceutical or cosmetic application in a decontaminated environment, wherein the article is transported from a first region (11) into a second region (12) through a lock (16) and, after the sterilization has been carried out, said article is transported on into a third region (13) through a further lock (17) for further handling. The invention is characterized in that the article is completely irradiated from all sides by pulsed light in the second region (12) for sterilization purposes.
