Green light for 13 laws: Federal Council approves lobby registers and EU funds


Green light for 13 laws
Federal Council approves lobby registers and EU funds

In its 1002nd session, the Federal Council approves more than a dozen laws. One is to ensure more transparency in lobbying, another to regulate the corona crisis management anew. However, the approval law for the EU reconstruction fund will be stopped immediately.

The Federal Council has cleared the way for a total of 13 laws. In its 1002nd session, he approved, among other things, the lobby register and the BND law, which had only passed the Bundestag the day before. The long-contested reform of the taxi and shuttle service market also met with approval from the Federal Council, as did a reform of guardianship and care law that will have practical effects on the lives of many citizens. The most important decisions in detail:

Passenger transport

The reform of the taxi and transport service market creates a legal framework for new mobility offers in cities and rural regions, which passengers can mostly book digitally. For example, it should enable regular offers with small buses or vans in which several passengers share a car. So far, they have been operating on the basis of exception rules. At the same time, classic taxi providers and the public offer of buses and trains are to be protected. For this purpose, specifications are provided for new transport service providers such as Uber, which can be made by municipalities.

health

A new mechanism is an important basis for corona crisis management. The Bundesrat agreed that the Bundestag must decide every three months in future whether an “epidemic situation of national scope” still exists. This gives the federal government special powers to issue direct ordinances, for example on tests and corona vaccinations. Part of the now sealed law is also a change in the measles vaccination requirement, which has been in force for new admissions in schools and daycare centers since March 2020. For children who have been to the facilities before, parents should submit proof of vaccination by July 31st. The deadline is now being extended to December 31 – because the Corona crisis is making processes more difficult.

EU reconstruction fund

With the approval of the EU’s financing system until 2027, the Federal Council also approved the € 750 billion Corona reconstruction fund. A total of around 1.8 trillion euros should be available to the EU by the end of 2027. The EU states had decided to invest 750 billion euros in the economic reconstruction of Europe after the pandemic. Part of the money is available as grants and part as a loan. For this, debts are taken on together. However, the EU Commission can only start taking out loans and making payments once all 27 EU countries have ratified the decision. However, the Federal Constitutional Court stopped the German approval law for the EU financing system until 2027 on Friday. The reason was a constitutional complaint against the fund associated with an urgent motion, which an alliance around the former AfD boss Bernd Lucke had submitted shortly before.

Lobby register

In the future, professional interest representatives will have to register in a publicly accessible register and provide information about their employers and clients there. Meetings in ministries should be recorded down to the level of sub-department heads. This is intended to make it clearer who influenced political decisions and legislation. According to the law, representation of interests may only take place on the basis of openness, transparency, honesty and integrity. Anyone who does not follow the rules can expect a fine of up to 50,000 euros. The federal states waived their three-week deliberation period so that the parliamentary procedure could be completed before Easter.

Protection of minors in the network

Children and young people should be better protected from dangers on the Internet. The reform of the Youth Protection Act obliges large providers of games and films on the Internet to take more technical precautions. The platforms must now offer simple reporting and complaint options in the event that young users feel threatened, harassed or harassed by strangers. This involves dangers such as bullying, sexual harassment, tracking or cost traps. In addition, uniform age ratings are required for online content.

Inventory data information

The new rules were first decided in the Bundestag and immediately afterwards in the Bundesrat. Manual inventory data information enables security authorities to obtain information from telecommunications companies, in particular about the owner of a telephone connection or an assigned IP address. It concerns the personal data of customers that are available when concluding or executing contracts. However, the law also contains regulations on usage data that providers need in order to be able to use and bill for their services. Karlsruhe declared the previous regulations unconstitutional in May 2020. The new regulation paves the way for the new law to combat right-wing extremism and hate crime on the Internet.

Guardianship law I

In the event of illness, spouses will soon be able to represent each other on health issues for a limited period according to the law. The power of attorney previously required for this will then no longer be necessary. So far, many married couples are not even aware that they have to issue such a power of attorney to each other. The reform of guardianship and care law stipulates that from the beginning of 2023 spouses may represent each other on health issues for six months if one of them is temporarily unable to take care of his affairs due to illness.

Guardianship law II

The position of minors vis-à-vis the guardian is strengthened. In future, the wishes of the carers should be the central yardstick for the actions of the carers and the judicial supervision. The reform of guardianship and care law makes it clear that legal care is primarily intended to provide assistance in dealing with one’s own affairs through one’s own self-determined action. Supervisors should – if necessary – only be allowed to act as deputies. The reform will give volunteer supervisors more information and knowledge. This should also be done through a close connection to recognized care associations.

BND law

The Federal Intelligence Service (BND) will in future be more closely monitored when it comes to technical spying on foreigners outside Germany. To this end, the law provides for a new independent council. The body, made up of federal judges and federal prosecutors, is to keep an eye on the actions of the secret service. At the same time, the legal hurdles for spying are increased. The reform had become necessary because the Federal Constitutional Court in 2020 criticized the previous rules as inadequate. In the so-called strategic telecommunications reconnaissance, the BND searches through large data streams for interesting information without specific suspicion.

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