Germany Passes €16 Billion Bureaucracy Reform, Dropping Mandatory Training for Estate Agents
12.06.2026 - 00:32:45 | boerse-global.de
Germany’s lower house of parliament has approved a wide-ranging deregulation package that aims to cut red tape costs by 25 percent—a saving of roughly €16 billion a year. The legislation, backed by the governing coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) together with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), is designed to relieve small businesses and tradespeople of administrative burdens that have long been a source of frustration.
The most eye-catching change targets the real estate sector: property agents will no longer be required to take periodic continuing education courses. The previous obligation has been scrapped entirely. But professional building managers—those who run residential properties—will see their training mandates left in place. The decision followed a recommendation from the parliamentary economic committee a day earlier. The VDIV Deutschland, the association representing property managers, welcomed the outcome as an “important signal for quality assurance.”
Chimney sweeps also benefit from the overhaul. Combined with the changes for estate agents, the annual relief for these two professions is estimated at around €45 million. In addition, the period for which they must keep proof of training and certifications will shrink from five years to three. A formal declaration step known as “Annex 3” has also been eliminated.
The reform package goes far beyond real estate and heating. The so-called heating label, which chimney sweeps had been required to assign to boilers and furnaces, is being abolished entirely. A string of reporting obligations scattered across different pieces of legislation—including the Federal Requirements Plan Act (Bundesbedarfsplangesetz), the Investment Accounts Act, and the Chambers of Industry and Commerce Act—are either removed or scaled back.
The government’s aim is to reduce the total annual compliance burden by at least €10 billion. The draft bill (reference number 21/3740) cleared the Bundestag with votes from the CDU/CSU, SPD, and AfD. The Left Party voted against, while the Greens abstained.
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Alongside the parliamentary action, the federal cabinet approved a separate amendment to the Telecommunications Act one day earlier. That move is intended to accelerate the rollout of fibre-optic broadband. Approval procedures will be simplified, and standard deadlines will be cut from three months to two. The government projects annual savings for businesses of €19.7 million and a reduction of 92,000 hours in administrative time for citizens.
These national measures complement initiatives at the state level. In Bavaria, a “construction turbo law” (Bauturbo-Gesetz) took effect at the start of the year. It makes it easier to retrofit buildings by waiving time-consuming case-by-case approvals for fire safety, sound insulation, and thermal insulation. The aim, officials say, is to invigorate the housing market by removing barriers that delay renovation and conversion projects.
