The Bundestag’s Economic Committee has signaled its support for ending the ban on shops opening on Sundays. Christian von Stetten, the committee chairman for the CDU, told the “Bild” newspaper that while the Bundestag oversees Sunday working hours, individual federal states determine Sunday opening times. Stetten advocated for a generous expansion of the regulations currently in place.
Prior to this development, several trade associations had already demanded the abolition of the Sunday closure ban. Nils Busch-Petersen, the managing director of the Berlin-Brandenburg Trade Association, told the “Bild-Zeitung” that “we should radically cut off the old braid.” He cited the UK’s move in 1993 and the actions of Italy and Spain in 2012, asserting that relaxing the Sunday opening regulations is urgently necessary.
Wolfgang Kubicki, chairman of the FDP, likewise backed the legalization of stores opening on Sundays. Kubicki argued in the “Bild” that genuine flexibility is urgently required, adding that those insisting on compulsory store closures should not complain about the decline of city centers.
