Overview
- Leaders agreed to classify major road, rail and waterway projects as being in the overriding public interest to speed planning and permits.
- Rules for lawsuits by environmental associations will be tightened, removing suspensive effect and limiting objections to parties that took part in the administrative process.
- An Infrastructure Future Act is slated for cabinet approval next week, with standardized species‑protection rules and an exemption from environmental impact assessments for rail electrifications under 60 kilometers.
- The government will scrap the so‑called heating law in name and relaunch it as a Buildings Modernization Act, with policy cornerstones due by end‑January 2026 and a government draft targeted for end‑February 2026.
- Core disputes persist over the 65% renewables requirement and subsidy levels, as Economics Minister Katherina Reiche signals leaner, more market‑oriented support while industry reports a roughly 14% drop in heat‑generator deliveries and collapsed oil and gas boiler sales.