Verifications in geotechnical design according to national and European standards are mostly based on limit state models like slip circle or sliding wedges – and the safety factors are related to these models. To use numerical models like the FEM it has to be checked, to what extent the results coincide. Numerical methods such as the FEM enable failure patterns to be forecast from deformations occurring close to the point of failure instead of assuming a priori a limit state geometry for a particular verification. Also boundary conditions can be considered much more in detail. In addition, one single FE calculation is able to provide not only the effects of the actions for ultimate limit state design (ULS) but also those needed for serviceability limit state design (SLS). Obviously there are possibilities and limitations of the FEM for verifications in geotechnical design according to standards, here concentrating on the new European standard EN 1997-1 (EC 7).