On 6 November 2026, the National Regulatory Control Council submitted its 2026 annual report to the German Bundestag. The Council acknowledges discernible progress in reducing bureaucracy but criticises uneven implementation across government departments and calls for more binding targets and greater involvement by ministerial administrations. The federal government’s report to Parliament refers to the report “An update for the state and administration – 20 years of the National Regulatory Control Council“ (Parliamentary Paper 21/8850).
The report’s main finding is that almost half of the Council’s specific proposals have been taken up, with initial reductions in regulatory burdens already being felt in several policy areas. These include steps taken by the federal government as part of the modernisation agenda, decisions by the Cabinet’s burden-reduction committee, and sector-specific initiatives to consolidate administrative services, speed up planning and approval procedures, and remove requirements for written forms.
At the same time, the National Regulatory Control Council points to shortcomings: digitisation projects in public authorities are progressing at different rates, and many commitments to reduce burdens have so far been more visible in policy documents than in the day-to-day work of businesses and public administrations. Reports from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and submissions from associations also confirm partial successes, but identify shortcomings in areas such as reporting requirements, grant procedures and the swift rollout of pilot solutions.
Politically, this increases pressure on coordination by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation and on the State Secretaries’ Committee on State Modernisation and Reducing Bureaucracy. The Council recommends setting measurable targets for reducing bureaucracy, making annual progress reports mandatory and clearly assigning responsibilities across government departments. This should make the impact on citizens, businesses and public administrations more transparent and improve coordination of priorities across legislation, implementation and digitisation.
The report describes a change in direction, not the end of the process. Documented reductions in burdens sit alongside outstanding tasks in consistent implementation, measuring the impact of reductions and standardising procedures. Expectations are directed at all government departments, particularly those with substantial implementation and grant-related responsibilities. Department-specific timetables and regular checks on whether targets are being met are seen as the next test. The National Regulatory Control Council explicitly makes forecasts of further reductions in burdens conditional on agreed measures being implemented on time and consistently.
The report to Parliament also gives the German Bundestag an assessment of the National Regulatory Control Council’s 20 years of work. Its diagnosis is sober: reducing bureaucracy and modernising the state are progressing, but remain dependent on clear responsibilities, reliable data and consistent management across the modernisation agenda.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).