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Berlin – The bureaucratic burden in Germany is too high. The chairman of the National Regulatory Control Council (NKR), Lutz Goebel, criticized this today when presenting the NKR’s 2024 annual report to the federal press conference.

“Germany is and remains a complicated country,” said Goebel. He criticized over-regulation as slowing down innovation and restricting the public sector’s ability to act. In addition, energy is wasted in the wrong places and frustration increases. However, he also praised the fact that the federal government has already taken steps to reduce bureaucracy.

Specifically, he meant the Bureaucracy Relief Act IV from the Federal Ministry of Justice, which the Bundestag passed last week. Corresponding measures would significantly relieve the burden on the economy, explained Goebel. He also recommends increasing awareness of the “one in, one out” rule, i.e. abolishing an old rule for every new rule.

Goebel also emphasized that the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) is planning its own law to reduce bureaucracy. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced a few weeks ago that it will be presented this fall. A few days ago, the federal states also submitted proposals to the BMG to reduce bureaucracy in the healthcare system.

The deputy NKR chairwoman, Sabine Kuhlmann, also emphasized that the ministries should use the tool of so-called practical checks much more. All departments should introduce this bindingly by the end of the year in order to check in advance whether a planned law is practical and can avoid bureaucracy.

In particular, people should talk to those affected to check which permits or other procedures have bureaucratic hurdles, explained Kuhlmann. These practical checks should be combined more with digital checks and citizen checks, she suggested. It is particularly important to carry out these checks before the legislation begins. © cmk/aerzteblatt.de