Reducing bureaucracy: ZDH welcomes proposals from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group

The CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag is calling on the federal government to "finally switch to action mode" when it comes to reducing bureaucracy and is putting forward 22 concrete proposals. The skilled trades sector agrees and also calls for more speed.

This article is part of the special feature on bureaucratic madness in the skilled trades.

The CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag believes the federal government is making no progress in reducing bureaucracy and is now proposing its own relief package. "The coalition government promised comprehensive bureaucracy reduction and a new bureaucracy relief law in its coalition agreement . But so far, there are n't even any key points for a new bureaucracy relief law. Instead, with every new law passed by the coalition, new regulatory demands pile up ," says Julia Klöckner , the group's economic policy spokesperson.

That's why the parliamentary group has now submitted a motion to the Bundestag with 22 concrete proposals for reducing unnecessary and burdensome bureaucracy . "Excessive documentation, reporting, and retention requirements, lengthy procedures, and enforcement problems in government agencies are slowing down our economy – from the self-employed to small and medium-sized enterprises to large corporations. This costs unnecessary money, time, nerves, and personnel ," said Klöckner. If done correctly, reducing bureaucracy would be a free economic stimulus package.

Systematically test practical suitability

Motion by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group . Here you can find the full motion from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group . "In this decade, we must ensure that businesses can focus more on their core business , implement new ideas, and secure jobs. Government communication and the filling out of forms must not become excessive ," the motion states. Especially in times of crisis, reducing bureaucracy can contribute to renewed economic growth and greater climate protection . The existing legal framework must be rethought from the perspective of companies across all sectors, systematically reviewed for its practical applicability , and adapted accordingly.

The CDU/CSU parliamentary group divides its proposals into six areas: general reduction of bureaucracy , measures in the area of ​​tax and commercial law , measures in the area of ​​labor and social law , measures in the area of ​​general economic policy , adjustments in data protection law and measures for the digitization of administration , as well as measures in the area of ​​the general acceleration of administrative procedures.

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These are the proposals of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group:

1. General reduction of bureaucracy
   - Extend the "one in, one out" rule to a "one in, two out" rule,
   - introduce a "burden inspection" that examines all burdens on companies and employees caused by laws and other regulations at European and national level and takes appropriate remedial measures,
   - Introduce a bureaucratic brake on the recruitment of new employees in the federal administration.
2. Measures in the area of ​​tax and commercial law
   - significantly shorten retention periods for documents,
   - Raise the turnover limit for actual taxation in the VAT Act from 600.000 to 1,5 million euros,
   - Increase the thresholds for submitting advance VAT returns from EUR 1.000 to EUR 1.500 (quarterly return) and from EUR 7.500 to EUR 9.000 (monthly return).
3. Measures in the area of ​​labour and social law
   - Implement the new regulations on working time recording in a non-bureaucratic manner and continue to enable trust-based working time models, without creating any additional burdens for employers and employees,
   - Raise the mini-job limit from 520 to 600 euros and link it to general wage developments,
   - exempt short business trips abroad throughout Europe from the obligation to apply for an A1 certificate,
   - apply the "one-stop shop" principle in practice when providing rehabilitation and participation services for people with disabilities.
4. Measures from the area of ​​general economic policy
   - Accelerate company successions, establish a public-law universal succession,
   - largely free founders from bureaucratic regulations in the first two years after founding a company,
   - create opportunities for experimentation in laws,
   - add a “mid-cap” category to the European Commission’s definition of SMEs.
5. Adjustments to data protection law and measures for administrative digitalization
   - to give companies with locations in several federal states the opportunity to apply data protection law uniformly by giving them the right to choose which of the state data protection officers at their locations is uniformly responsible for all establishments,
   - Raise the threshold for appointing a company data protection officer from 20 to at least 50 employees,
   - swiftly implement the objectives of the Online Access Act to enable fully digitalised administrative procedures,
   - ensure a nationwide solution for the digital company account,
   - Consistently implement the "once-only principle" based on the Register Modernisation Act introduced in the last legislative period,
   - reduce company-relevant statistical obligations, data collection and reporting.
6. Measures in the area of ​​general acceleration of administrative procedures
   - review all business-relevant processes and administrative procedures at administrative authorities in consultation with the companies,
   - Significantly accelerate planning and approval processes through further process concentration.

"Relief law must finally come"

The skilled trades sector, like the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, sees an urgent need for action to reduce bureaucracy: "The proposal from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group shows how easily bureaucracy reduction can be achieved . Concrete proposals and relief measures that have been available for a long time, especially those put forward by the skilled trades sector, simply need to be implemented," demands Holger Schwannecke , Secretary General of the Central Association of German Skilled Trades.

Little to nothing has happened so far in this legislative period . From the perspective of craft businesses, whose creativity and innovation are hampered by the millstone of bureaucracy, this is no longer acceptable . Schwannecke: "The federal government is wasting valuable time with unnecessary surveys of associations. Much more courage and decisive action are needed . The bureaucracy relief law, already promised in the coalition agreement, must finally be enacted. And it must be a law that truly deserves its name."

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