Reducing bureaucracy: Bakers make concrete proposals

The bakery trade has repeatedly called on politicians to reduce excessive bureaucratic burdens. Now, it is presenting 32 proposals that it says can be implemented quickly.

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

The Central Association of the German Bakery Trade demands from the Federal government that Fulfilling their promise to reduce bureaucracy. A corresponding one Relief package must be implemented quickly. The association has now concrete proposals In a 15-page paper, he brings together 32 of his views quickly implementable measures for changes in federal and EU law.

Michael Wippler Photo: © Central Association of the German Bakery Trade eV

"In discussions with companies we are currently told that they now see the bureaucratic burden that has arisen in recent years as overwhelming and no longer acceptable in any way "At our base, there is now a demand to amend the current laws to reduce by 30 percentin order to be able to work economically," explains the President of the Bakers' Association, Michael Wippler.

Noticeable relief required

The problem is not individual regulations, but the large quantity of the duties and responsibilities to be fulfilled by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Wippler: "As is well known, the dose makes the poison. In the current situation of significantly increased energy, raw material and personnel costs, inflation and the shortage of skilled workers, small and medium-sized enterprises in particular need urgent further, noticeable relief."

32 suggestionsYou can find it here Paper from the Bakers’ Association with the detailed demands.So far, the government has done little to reduce bureaucracy can't achieve much. "We therefore demand that the bureaucratic burdens associated with the planned Bureaucracy Reduction Act IV The bakery trade finally needs a effective detox treatment in terms of bureaucracy," said Wippler. Key demands concern the abolition of the written requirement for employment contracts, the electronic certificate of incapacity for work, the EU Packaging Regulation, allergen information and planning and approval procedures.

Problems for smaller businesses

Gitta Connemann was appointed Bread Ambassador in May 2022. Photo: © Central Association of the German Bakery Trade

The bakery trade receives support from the Federal Chair of the SME and Economic Union, Gitta Connemann (CDU): "The sum of requirements, fees and prohibitions makes life difficult for bakeries. Especially for smaller businesses, this hardly to shoulder. There must be a jolt through politics and administration. Any additional bureaucracy or financial burden harms Companies and their employees. Now is not the time for ideology and pressure, but for Planning security and relief."

Proposals for changes to federal law:

• Delete the written form requirement for employment contracts and allow text form,
• get the electronic certificate of incapacity for work up and running,
• Make the Whistleblower Protection Act less bureaucratic,
• Introduce Germany’s speed limit for all planning and approval procedures,
• abolish the obligation for SMEs to appoint company data protection officers,
• Packaging Act: Remove nonsensical obligations regarding packaging licensing,
• Food labelling: create exemptions for SMEs,
• Food Information Regulation: Take into account derogations provided for by the EU in national implementation,
• Modernise allergen information for consumers,
• Obligation to issue receipts: Introduce a de minimis limit and make it dependent on the customer’s request,
• Reintroduce the small business clause in the documentation requirement for occupational health and safety,
• Only require risk assessments on an ad hoc basis,
• Abolishing the risk assessment according to the Industrial Safety Ordinance after the purchase of new work equipment, at least for SMEs,
• Provide exceptions to the recording and documentation of working hours for SMEs and waive the documentation of working hours if the working hours are already recorded in business travel plans or in the employment contract,
• Postpone the due date of social security contributions to the 10th of the following month,
• Raising the thresholds and more frequent rotation of establishments in statistical reporting obligations,
• in the case of companies, limit the statistical survey to data that can be obtained from the company software,
• Commercial Waste Ordinance: Reduce documentation requirements,
• Disposal of food waste: exemption from registration and documentation requirements,
• Improve the Measurement and Calibration Ordinance,
• Extend the craftsmen exemption in the driving personnel regulations to all delivery journeys,
• Professional driver qualification: create exceptions for marginally employed and part-time drivers,
• abolish the obligation for employers to check driving licences,
• stop new, additional bureaucratic burdens for SMEs,
• Further development of the "one-in, one-out" rule,
• Treat bureaucracy reduction as a top priority.

Proposals for changes to EU law:

• Stop new, additional bureaucratic burdens for SMEs,
• make the planned EU Packaging Regulation suitable for SMEs,
• EU Wage Transparency Directive: exempt SMEs from reporting obligations,
• Data protection: adapt processing register,
• Data protection: converting information obligations into customer rights to information,
• Data protection: Adapt order processing.

According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy they 57 associations on its association survey on bureaucracy reduction in an online survey 442 suggestions submitted. The Federal Statistical Office should now evaluate it and ranking The proposals will then be discussed at a State Secretaries’ Committee meeting to determine Draft bill for a new bureaucracy reduction law The parliamentary consultation process is scheduled to begin before the end of this year.

Schwannecke calls for quick action

Holger Schwannecke Photo: © ZDH / Schuerring

It is long overdue that politicians provide further impetus for reducing bureaucracy. "The prioritized bundling of numerous proposals from the trades and other associations offers the ideal basis for the announced bureaucracy relief law, because here come Suggestions from practice, the implementation of which would quickly and noticeably reduce the bureaucratic burden on businesses, usually without incurring additional costs," explains Holger Schwannecke.

The Secretary General of the Central Association of German Crafts now demands quick action: "The proposals were already largely known at the beginning of the legislative period. We must not waste any more time that the companies do not have. Craft businesses must be noticeably and sustainably relieved, because unnecessary bureaucracy is more than just annoying. inhibits economic efficiency and innovation and demonstrably discourages young people from starting or taking over a business."

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