A method for transmitting signaling and control information for wavelength-division multiplex networks for optical, fiber-bound information transfer in digitized form, the signaling and control information being transmitted via the same optical channel, particularly with the same wavelength, as the useful information, but being encoded and decoded independently thereof, with the result that the control and signaling information can also be accessed independently of the useful information. The use of a time-division multiplex method allowing the different encoding of useful information and control information makes it possible considerably to reduce the technical complexity of passive optical network elements with regard to the routing of the signaling and control information. This method permits the simple, low-cost and transparent transmission of signaling and control information in the optical WDM network.