Bakery trade: No bureaucratic relief!

The new bureaucracy reduction law is disappointing the business community. The bakery trade is also sharply criticizing the bill. "This won't have any noticeable impact on a baker's everyday life."

This article is part of the special topic Bureaucratic madness in the craft industry

Much more would be possible and urgently needed in the area of ​​reducing bureaucracy, explains Michael Wippler, President of the Central Association of the German Bakery Trade. The planned easing of the Archiving of electronically stored tax documentsThis will relieve the burden on companies and provide incentives for the tax authorities to carry out audits promptly, adds the Managing Director. Daniel Schneider.

But there is not much more to it. Overall, the draft law on Reducing bureaucracy, the BEG III, very disappointing. "We called for a noticeable reduction in the burden, but unfortunately, we can't see any. The law will barely have an impact on bakers' daily work."

Proposals to reduce bureaucracy are on the table

The Bundestag must improve the parliamentary process. Schneider: "There are enough proposals for this." He also sharply criticized the fact that the federal government had only given the associations three days to comment on the draft law. "That is absurd." 

Shortly before, the central association had criticized the draft law as insufficient in a statement to the federal government. Even at a personal meeting with Hendrik Hoppenstedt, the Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor and Federal Government Coordinator for Bureaucracy Reduction, one day before the draft law was published, this criticism was repeated.

Many companies give up

In operation of Lars Siebert, who is the owner of Berlin's oldest artisan bakery If the Minister of State had been able to report comprehensively on the concerns and needs of the industry from practice, he would have been able to gain an idea.

Master baker Lars Siebert explained the daily work of the artisan bakeries and described which bureaucratic regulations are particularly burdensome – from the Allergen labeling requirements, Risk assessments according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and Industrial safety regulations Up to the Reporting obligations to health insurance companies.

The numerous bureaucratic obligations could lead to businesses giving up or not finding a successor, according to the business owner and the deputy master craftsman. 

Minister of State Hoppenstedt made it clear that he was aware of the problems: "We know that accumulation is the problem." He assured during the meeting that he would continue to engage with the central association on the topic of reducing bureaucracy. 

The Central Association fundamentally welcomes the dialogue with the Federal Government on this issue, but at the same time calls on it to consistently continue its efforts to reduce bureaucracy – that is, to significantly reduce existing and strictly avoid new bureaucratic and financial burdens on companies in order to avoid disadvantages for small and medium-sized enterprises.