Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
In recent developments, Germany has taken several significant steps to address various challenges, from ensuring compliance with collective agreement regulations to supporting Ukrainian refugees and accelerating LNG terminal approvals.
To make the implementation of collective agreement compliance regulations more secure, transparent, and bureaucracy-free, various changes have been made. This includes the introduction of a collective agreement compliance regulation in 2021, which requires care facilities to pay their employees according to the collective agreement to be approved.
In a move to support nursing staff, bonuses will be provided to nursing staff employed by temporary employment agencies and members of the DRK sisterhoods. The coalition factions are also discussing the Care Bonus Act, which aims to honor the pandemic-related additional burdens in hospitals and long-term care.
The LNG Acceleration Act, a proposed legislation, aims to accelerate all licensing and approval procedures for floating and stationary LNG terminals to facilitate the quick injection of LNG. This initiative is part of Germany's broader energy policy, which includes debates on nuclear energy and new infrastructure investments.
In response to the influx of Ukrainian refugees, the federal government is contributing one billion euros to the costs of childcare, school, health, and care for these refugees. The coalition factions have also proposed to facilitate access to education and research for these refugees from Ukraine.
Moreover, the economic recovery is being supported by additional investment incentives for companies. The federal government is also discussing a draft bill to suspend sanctions in basic security until the introduction of the citizen's income.
In terms of transportation, the 9-Euro-Ticket, a discounted public transport ticket for three months, has been introduced to cushion increased burdens on citizens due to rising costs. The Regionalization Act increases financial resources to compensate for expected corona damages in 2022 and lays the foundation for financing the additional costs of the 9-euro ticket.
The construction of the Future Center for German Unity and European Transformation, initially proposed in 2022, is set to begin after a competition among interested municipalities in East Germany, followed by a subsequent design competition. However, detailed information about the current status or key points of this center is not widely available as of August 2025.
Lastly, the EU has adopted several packages of sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, including asset freezing, travel restrictions, restrictions on economic cooperation, and import and export restrictions. Authorities will be granted additional powers and further possibilities for data exchange for this purpose. The Sanctions Enforcement Act I aims to create the possibility of identifying assets of sanctioned persons and securing assets until the ownership relations are clarified. A moratorium on sanctions will apply until the summer of 2023 or one year after it comes into force. The Fourth Corona Tax Relief Act is also being debated, providing tax relief measures for citizens and companies.
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