Abstract: The invention relates to an aqueous coating material for metallic substrates, comprising a water-dispersible and/or water-soluble polymer P with covalently bonded ligands A, which form chelates with the metal ions released during the corrosion of the substrate and/or with the substrate surface, and having crosslinking functional groups B, which with themselves, with further complementary functional groups B? of the polymer P and/or with further functional groups B and/or B? are able to form covalent bonds to crosslinkers V, and at least one surface-active substance OS at the surface of the substrate to be coated.