The federal government and the various states agreed during the Prime Minister Conference on a comprehensive plan aimed at modernizing the state while drastically reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
Several key changes will be implemented to streamline governmental processes. For example, contacting authorities via email will become standard practice, and many requirements related to formal written documentation will be significantly reduced. Building applications are set to be processed more quickly, and citizens will soon be able to register their vehicles digitally, from their home sofa, as the federal government announced following the meeting.
Regarding civil administration, electronic residency registration will become mandatory nationwide for all municipalities. Furthermore, a national register for passports and identification cards is planned. This system will allow citizens to apply for a new ID card digitally, needing only to provide their biometric data at the local registry office. The finished ID card will then be mailed directly to the citizen.
The commitment to implementing the “approval fiction” principle, particularly concerning building permits, means that if a government agency fails to make a decision within a specified timeframe, the approval will automatically be considered granted.
On the social policy front, changes to child benefits (Kindergeld) are scheduled to commence in 2027. In the first phase, for parents who already have at least one older child, the benefit for subsequent children will be paid to the person who is currently receiving the payments. In a second phase, the child benefit for the first child will also be disbursed automatically, requiring no application.
While the date of legislative enactment was initially unclear, these initiatives are scheduled to come into effect by the end of the year.
