Germany – Speed Things Up: Faster planning and approval procedures for industry
The complexity and duration of procedures must be drastically reduced. What is needed is a new German pace with efficient planning and approval procedures that combine environmental protection, climate protection and speed. With a new strategy paper, the BDI is making concrete proposals on how to finally speed things up.
Acceleration must become a top priority
The federal-state pact adopted on November 6, 2023 was an important step towards speeding up planning and approval procedures. The German economy has not yet felt any significant acceleration, as many measures have not yet been implemented. So far, only a third of the measures have been implemented, almost exclusively in the field of renewable energies. The Federal Chancellor and the Minister Presidents must make the acceleration of procedures a top priority. The industry needs clear decisions for more speed from the federal and state governments.
Fast approval must become the rule
Productive approaches from the federal states fail due to inconsistent federal policy. The jungle of individual case regulations must be cleared and all procedures must be equally accelerated. The legislator has created a complex set of regulations to speed up procedures for renewable energies in particular. What is needed, however, are structural reforms that help the entire industry. Planning procedures across all branches of industry must be designed in such a way that they can be completed quickly with reasonable effort and legal certainty.
Stemming the flood of expert opinions
In Germany, it often takes five years before final approval is granted. More and more details are being documented with expert opinions, but these hardly provide any additional environmental protection. Environmental protection and nature conservation are thus increasingly perceived as obstacles to important projects. The decision-making powers of the administrative authorities must be strengthened and the depth of review by the courts reduced.
Significantly reduce the complexity and duration of procedures
In a new strategy paper, the BDI makes concrete proposals for speeding up the process:
• Trust-based regulation for more personal responsibility on the part of project operators
• Acceleration of procedures must become a top priority
• Strengthen the decision-making power and competencies of the approval authorities
• Relieve administrative courts and reduce the depth of review
• Consolidate and modernize EU environmental law and implement it 1:1 in Germany
• Swiftly implement “low hanging fruits” in Germany (deadline regulation, partial measures, spatial compatibility, standards)
• Drive forward digitalization
These proposals should mean that procedures can largely be carried out without expert or legal support. Acceleration can only succeed in Germany with clear and manageable regulations.
