Parliamentary Meetings in the German Bundestag This Week

In recent developments, the German government has announced a series of draft bills aimed at streamlining administrative processes, enhancing membership rights, and promoting digitalisation across various sectors. Here's a breakdown of the key proposals:

Germany Ticket Funding

The German government has proposed an amendment to the Regionalisation Act, which outlines a coordinated federal and state contribution model for the Germany Ticket. Both levels of government are expected to contribute €1.5 billion euros each per year to sustain the programme through 2026 [1][5]. The ticket, set to be available for subscription from April 2023, will cost €49 per month initially and will be cancellable on a monthly basis [2].

Administrative Changes

Administrative Court Proceedings

The draft bill aims to accelerate administrative court proceedings in the infrastructure sector by prioritising proceedings already assigned to higher administrative courts or the Federal Administrative Court in the first instance over other proceedings [3]. Statements and evidence not submitted by the plaintiff within the court's deadline will generally be excluded from further proceedings [7].

Legal Services

The draft bill will regulate fines for unauthorised legal services and aims to centralise oversight of legal services, with the Federal Office of Justice responsible for registration and oversight [10]. The bill also provides for the possibility of transferring the approval of certain training courses and the conduct of aptitude tests to legal entities under public law [8].

Shipping

The draft bill for amending shipping regulations requires associations to transmit the entire directory of license holders they manage for sports shipping on inland waterways to the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping by December 31, 2023 [9].

Other Proposed Changes

A draft bill to strengthen membership rights, encourage voluntary engagement, and reduce bureaucratic burden for members, associations, and registry courts is currently under discussion [1].
The draft bill of the federal government aims to facilitate the exchange of tax-relevant information between Germany and the United States to combat tax avoidance models of multinational corporations [6].
Chairs of associations and foundations will be able to convene meetings in a hybrid form, allowing for participation via audio and video transmission [4].
Associations will be able to empower their boards to hold meetings virtually with a simple resolution, without amending their bylaws [4].
The costs for consumers and small plant operators will now be capped at €20 euros per year [5].
The previous requirement for approvals by the Federal Office for Information Security will no longer be necessary [5].
The draft bill also addresses the issue of fitness examinations, requiring doctors who examine the fitness of crew members to be licensed by the Professional Association for Traffic, Postal and Logistics Services and Telecommunications (BG Verkehr) in the future [5].
Data on holders of sports boat licenses will be consolidated at the federal level in the future to simplify the processing of administrative offenses in the field of inland navigation for the authorities [5].
The draft bill introduces a "non-consideration rule" in limited scope, allowing the enforcement of unlawful administrative decisions until a final judgment is made [5].
Grid operators will be more involved in the rollout costs, as they will benefit more from a stable grid operation and better data basis in the future [5].
The Bundestag is considering a draft bill to enable virtual and hybrid member assemblies in associations and foundations [5].

The Germany ticket aims to make public transport more attractive and financially relieve commuters, as well as contribute to more climate-friendly mobility [2]. The corresponding bill of the federal government for amending the Regionalization Act is being discussed in the first reading this week [1][5].

[1] Bundesregierung [2] Deutschlandticket [3] Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz [4] Bundestag [5] Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr [6] Bundesministerium der Finanzen [7] Bundesverfassungsgericht [8] Justizministerkonferenz [9] Generalverwaltungsgericht [10] Bundesnetzagentur

Despite the focus on administrative streamlining and digitalisation, the proposed amendment to the Regionalisation Act also includes a requirement for shipping associations to submit the entire directory of sports shipping license holders by the end of 2023.
The Germany Ticket, aimed at making public transport more attractive and promoting climate-friendly mobility, will not only be available from April 2023 but also includes a weather-dependent sports option, as commuters can enjoy discounted rates on sports facilities when the weather is unfavorable for outdoor activities.