Reducing bureaucracy

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Reducing bureaucracy is a catchphrase in politics , economy and administration and describes the reduction of the overregulation of an authority's action that may a. by the bureaucracy model of Max Weber is embossed.

Meant the loss is of locations regulations and laws , but also the creation of increased transparency of official action, within a rationalized and more efficient work organization, also partly the dismantling of hierarchies and subsidies within the authority structure.

Delimitation of the term

Reducing bureaucracy is used synonymously with reducing bureaucracy . Reducing bureaucracy is usually used more broadly than deregulation , which only refers to breaking down rules. In Switzerland there is mostly talk of an exemption from bureaucracy . The English equivalent of reducing bureaucracy is cutting red tape .

Economic and political aspect

The plans and projects covered by the term reduction of bureaucracy are based on the assumption that people are so restricted in their initiative by laws and other regulations as well as administrative procedures that they can not use their freedom . The costs for the bureaucracy do not directly benefit the people, and the bureaucracy may also increase the preservation of vested rights , the susceptibility to corruption and the enrichment within the system. This hinders private and economic development. The term also includes criticism of the implementation of these regulations by civil servants and employees in the administration.

Notification requirements and approval procedures cost companies manpower on the one hand and tie up possible investment funds on the other . Some large corporations have employees who only deal with these bureaucratic duties. Smaller businesses are often overloaded with these obligations. A study by the Institute for SME Research found in 2003 that small businesses with fewer than ten employees had almost twice as high administrative costs (€ 3,759 per year and employee) than companies with 20 to 49 employees (€ 1,976). The aim of reducing bureaucracy is therefore to reduce these burdens and thus free up new forces.

Reducing bureaucracy is part of the “ Lean Production ” concept within commercial enterprises . Since the company's internal bureaucracy is viewed as "non -value-adding overhead", the aim of this concept is to reduce "organizational interfaces" by "integrating indirect activities or functions in ... decentralized units".

As Friedrich Engels has already pointed out, the enactment and amendment or abolition of administrative regulations as well as the relative power position of state bureaucracies are by no means neutral in terms of class or interests. With the efficiency or cost argument, regulations are often attacked that serve the general public, but have no special, powerful lobby behind them (for example in the areas of child, consumer and environmental protection).

Most of the bureaucrats in Germany are employed by the largest agency, the Federal Employment Agency with 108,781 employees.

Forms of bureaucracy reduction

The following options for reducing bureaucracy are often mentioned:

  • Direct reduction of jobs in areas that are associated with overregulation or even just privileges, e.g. B. the Bavarian Senate until 1999
  • Laws and ordinances could be temporarily or at least regularly checked for their necessity when they are introduced (also known as an expiry clause or “sunset clause”).
  • Processing deadlines for applications could be clearly defined and limited as closely as possible. Administrations could become more accessible through the use of the Internet and longer working hours .
  • Official application procedures can be standardized so that, for example, only one uniform building application has to be submitted for a building project and there is no need to apply for different permits separately.
  • Statistical obligations could be waived in whole or in part.
  • Tasks could be delegated as far as possible so that superiors would not always have to be asked when making decisions. Competing authorities could be merged or dissolved.

Plans and measures at national and international level

European Union

At EU level, the European Commission has been using a new process for so-called legal impact assessment since 2003 as part of the reduction in bureaucracy . Impact assessments are carried out as an ex-ante evaluation of new EU regulatory projects based on the three dimensions of economy, social affairs and the environment. This concept is part of the Lisbon strategy . At the spring summit in 2007, the European heads of state and government agreed on reducing the administrative burdens resulting from EU regulations by 25% by 2012. An action program to reduce administrative burdens was also adopted.

Bund Germany

Reducing bureaucracy was repeatedly called for in German parliaments. Regardless of the party-political orientation of the governments, this demand could only be implemented in individual cases. The debate in Germany and the EU has received new impetus through the application of the standard cost model. The debate about the reduction of bureaucracy was given a major impetus in 1997 by the Berlin speech of the then Federal President Roman Herzog , who denounced the “regulatory mania” in Germany.

In response to the laws and legislative changes that were hastily and relatively numerous after the terrorist attacks of September 11th , the data protection officers determined that laws, the appropriateness of which could not be assessed beforehand, would have to be subject to a time limit or at least an obligation to evaluate. The legislature partly complied with this.

The Federal Government's Agenda 2010 program includes the relief of SMEs and businesses by “removing bureaucratic obstacles”. In 2003, the then federal government launched the project innovation regions for economic growth and employment through deregulation and de-bureaucratisation . In selected regions ( Bremen , Ostwestfalen-Lippe , Westmecklenburg ) suggestions for reducing bureaucracy should be collected. As a result of this action, approximately a thousand proposals were made to remove such regulations. Some of these proposals were incorporated into the law to implement proposals for reducing bureaucracy and deregulation from the regions . Two examples are intended to illustrate the character of this law: Under certain conditions, young people can now work from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Hotel operations no longer have to provide evidence of room occupancy .

The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs put 2005 Ten key points to July 13, reduction of bureaucracy in the home right in front. These had previously been worked out by a round table made up of nursing experts and, among other things, stipulate that documentation obligations in care for the elderly should be dropped. This should promote the emergence of new forms of housing and care.

In the coalition agreement of 2005, the program to reduce bureaucracy and better regulation was laid down. On April 25, 2006, the federal cabinet decided on five measures to reduce bureaucracy. With the help of the standard cost model , the concrete costs of bureaucracy are to be measured by the National Regulatory Control Council . This should also suggest measures to reduce bureaucracy. A bureaucratic reduction office was set up at the Federal Chancellery.

Countries Germany

Brandenburg

From 2005 to 2007, the Brandenburg state parliament was the first state parliament to set up a special committee to review norms and standards . A first law to reduce bureaucracy was passed in the Landtag in June 2006 and contains, in addition to individual relief, in particular a standard opening clause, which, upon request, enables the municipalities to deviate from state legal requirements for a limited period of time and to try out alternative or independent solutions. Another law to reduce bureaucracy was not passed, although this was initially announced politically.

Since the beginning of the 5th legislative period in November 2009, responsibility for reducing bureaucracy has been transferred from the State Chancellery of the State of Brandenburg to the Ministry of the Interior. This change was accompanied by a loss of importance. Other administrative reform issues (in particular a major structural reform) moved to the center of political attention.

North Rhine-Westphalia

In Ostwestfalen-Lippe , the first German pilot measurement was carried out according to the Dutch standard cost model , with the help of which bureaucracy costs can be specifically determined.

Saarland

In 1999 the state government of Saarland introduced an "automatic expiry" for administrative regulations. Since then, regulations must be expressly extended in order to remain in force. This measure removed 68% of these rules by 2005.

Saxony

In Saxony , the Ministry of Justice set up a “paragraph pillory ” in February 2003 , where citizens can complain about legal provisions. In August 2005, the state government issued an administrative regulation, with which civil servants are requested to make written proposals to reduce bureaucracy in the administration.

Problem

  • Critics warn against the populist use of the term “bureaucracy reduction”. In contrast, there is the fundamental need for bureaucracy for the modern state . At a hearing of the Interior Committee of the German Bundestag , attorney Ortlieb Fiedler stated in 2004: "The constitutional state's waiver of the enactment of laws would be tantamount to renouncing politics in certain areas and implementing them."
  • Governments try to reduce bureaucracy by setting up commissions. These commissions are supposed to review state regulations for their justification and work out proposals for the sensible deletion of regulations. There is a risk that the new commissions will lead to an expansion of the bureaucracy.
  • In May 2005, the then chairwoman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group and opposition leader Angela Merkel addressed financial aspects . She announced that in the event of the government takeover, she would concentrate primarily on things that “do not cost any money”. Among other things, she mentioned the reduction of bureaucracy in this context. The question arises whether the abolition of state regulations and the shortening of processing times can be achieved without - at least in the short term - higher personnel costs.
  • In the opinion of the political scientist Elmar Altvater , the functioning of democracy is endangered by shorter planning times as a result of the reduction in bureaucracy. All attempts at acceleration are "measures that limit the participation of citizens." As a result, "practical constraints prevail." As an example, Altvater cited the Traffic Route Acceleration Act.
  • In subordinate administrations, bureaucracy cannot be reduced in some cases because they are bound by higher-level law ( federal law , European law ).
  • The staff who are responsible for bureaucratic measures in state authorities must on the one hand apply existing laws due to their official duties, but are criticized precisely because of this application.
  • Individuals and interest groups try to prevent bureaucracy cuts as soon as their interests are directly endangered. The then Federal Minister of Economics and Labor, Wolfgang Clement , stated in 2004: "When things get serious, things get tight, interests in protection are defended sternly."

See also

literature

Web links

Wiktionary: Reduction of bureaucracy  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Friedrich Engels: Der Status Quo in Deutschland , p. 31. Digital Library, Volume 11: Marx / Engels, p. 10878 (cf. MEW, Vol. 4, p. 54).
  2. ↑ Action Program to Reduce Administrative Burdens in the European Union , accessed on July 24, 2011
  3. ↑ Free reforms. In: www.stern.de. May 27, 2005, archived from the original ; accessed on October 27, 2019 .