Suggestion list categorized according to relief potential
In an online survey, the federal government found out which bureaucratic procedures bother and plague entrepreneurs, employees, freelancers and associations in Germany the most. With the help of the Federal Statistical Office, the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Benjamin Strasser (FDP), who is responsible for reducing bureaucracy, has now drawn up a list of 442 proposals from the responses of the 57 associations that took part, which are intended to provide as much relief as possible. This wish-you-what of bureaucracy reduction is sorted according to criteria such as compliance costs, acceleration potential and range. In addition, it was examined to what extent those affected experience the legal requirements or the procedure to which a proposal refers as incomprehensible.
Simplifications required for mobile network expansion and award procedures
One proposal that was included in the list published in Berlin on Friday, for example, provides for companies that operate mobile networks to be given the right to inspect the land register in order to be able to approach private owners of land and buildings suitable for radio towers more quickly and thus expand the mobile network to advance faster. The Federal Association of German Bus Companies would like to make award procedures simpler so that every private bus company can participate in tenders in the future. The German Trade Union Confederation proposes simplifications when applying for rehabilitation measures. In his opinion, this could in many cases avoid a reduction in earning capacity or premature retirement. He proposes a basic application for rehabilitation.
Bureaucracy in approval procedures complained
However, the evaluation of the proposals received also reveals some general problems. The Federal Association of German Industry, the German Farmers’ Association and the Association of Municipal Enterprises are calling for authorities to be obliged to at least check within certain periods of time whether all the necessary documents have been submitted or whether something is still missing. “Often the examination of the application documents is drawn out even more and more by only piecemeal subsequent requests for documents,” complains the farmers’ association. He proposes a time window of three months for the subsequent request for documents. After the end of this period, the application should be considered complete.
Buschmann advocates a European initiative to reduce bureaucracy
Of the 442 suggestions, the Federal Statistical Office sorted 157 suggestions into Category 1. That means they are considered “potentially suitable for direct legal measures by the departments or in a further bureaucracy relief law”. A look at the list shows that there is homework for all ministries. Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP), in whose house the coordination of bureaucracy reduction for the entire government is based, says: “Of course it’s clear to me that many politicians are particularly fond of bureaucracy reduction when the plans are still rather abstract. If it is becomes concrete, the circle of friends unfortunately becomes smaller quickly.” Where EU law sets standards that cannot be changed nationally, the issue should be addressed with the EU Commission. He advocates a European initiative to reduce bureaucracy.
Editor beck-aktuell, Anne-Beatrice Clasmann, April 14, 2023 (dpa).
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On the topic on the internet
Die Suggestion list from the association query can be found as a pdf document on the website of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
From the news archive
Associations send federal government 470 proposals for reducing bureaucracy, report by the beck-aktuell editorial team from March 8th, 2023, becklink 2026361
Report: Bureaucracy cost index at an all-time low, report by the beck-aktuell editorial team from December 21, 2022, becklink 2025751
Federal government presents annual report for 2021 on reducing bureaucracy and better regulation, report by the beck-aktuell editorial team of December 14, 2022, becklink 2025642
Federal Council approves law to reduce bureaucracy, report by the beck-aktuell editorial team of November 11, 2019, becklink 2014659