Overview
- The Federal Statistical Office reports annual reporting-related costs for companies fell to €62.5 billion from €66.6 billion a year earlier.
- Recorded information obligations edged down to 12,364 in January from 12,390 in January 2025.
- The totals are annualized estimates of administrative work tied to legally mandated data collection, transmission, or retention.
- The governing black–red coalition has pledged to cut red tape, with Labor Minister Bärbel Bas proposing to scrap many workplace-safety rules and more than 123,000 special officer roles, and Germany and Italy tabling EU proposals to speed approvals and remove burdensome regulations.
- Critics say the burden remains excessive, citing an Ifo study estimating up to €146 billion in broader losses and BSW leader Sahra Wagenknecht labeling the €62.5 billion a “Konjunkturkiller.”