The cabinet has decided to postpone the submission of the draft Building Modernisation Act (GMG), formerly known as the Heating Act, to a date after Easter.
According to the “Rheinische Post”, citing coalition and government insiders, the federal government prefers a standard legislative process that includes hearings with the states, industry associations, and experts, rather than a fast‑track procedure. The timeframe until Easter was deemed too tight for this approach.
Consequently, the draft is now expected to be presented at a cabinet meeting in mid‑April. The responsible Economic Ministry, working closely with other ministries, is intensively drafting the text of the law.
At the end of February the black‑red coalition had agreed on key points for reforming the existing Heating Act. Those points called for the draft to be delivered by Easter, but that schedule is now projected to shift by a few weeks. The new law, however, remains set to come into force on 1 July and will re‑allow the installation of oil and gas heating systems.
