The current annual report of the German government’s National Regulatory Control Council (NRK) shows that compliance costs (the cost of complying with legal regulations and obligations) have reached an all-time high. The bvdm therefore supports the specific proposals of the NKR for a broader approach and a more efficient organisation of laws as well as the reduction of bureaucratic burdens.
The German Printing and Media Industries Federation (bvdm) has joined forces with other industry associations to oppose the introduction of numerous reporting and information obligations as well as the cost burdens imposed on industry by regulations and laws. The annual report of the German government’s National Regulatory Control Council has made it measurably clear that the measures taken by the government to date have fallen far short and that fundamental reforms are needed. According to the report, the annual compliance costs rose by around 9.3 billion euros between June 2022 and June 2023 to a total of around 26.8 billion euros. This is one of the highest increases since the start of the timeline and corresponds to an increase of 54 per cent compared to the previous reporting period. The trend of the last three years thus continued in the current reporting period.
“This development is particularly poisonous for small and medium-sized companies in the print and media industry, as they are less able to shoulder burdens than large companies due to their small number of employees. This is all the more annoying as the “Ampel” coalition agreement even includes the reduction of bureaucracy, but at the same time new bureaucracy monsters are constantly being born with the Whistleblower Protection Act, Supply Chain Duty of Care Act, etc.,” criticises Dr Paul Albert Deimel, Managing Director of the bvdm, the current situation.
In the past and current year, the bvdm has specifically criticised, for example, the cumbersome design of laws and support measures such as the gas and electricity price brakes, where the administrative effort was often disproportionate to the actual relief effect.
BVDM
The Bundesverband Druck und Medien e. V. (bvdm) is the umbrella organisation of the German printing industry. As an employers’ organisation, political business association and technical trade association, it represents the positions and objectives of the printing industry vis-à-vis politicians, administration, trade unions and the supplier industry. The bvdm is supported by eight regional associations. Internationally, it is organised through its membership of Intergraf and FESPA. The printing industry currently comprises around 6,900 predominantly small and medium-sized companies with more than 110,000 employees subject to social security contributions.