The National Regulatory Control Council (NKR) and the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) have presented a comprehensive package of measures to speed up approval procedures for installations. More than 800 employees from around 240 authorities were surveyed on the obstacles in approval procedures under the Federal Immission Control Act. The result: the authorities are overloaded and see an urgent need for action.
Lack of high-quality documents
According to employees of the immission control authorities, the most serious obstacles can be found as early as the application submission stage. The effort required to obtain high-quality documents is considerable. Yet these are the basis for a thorough review and rapid approval. Preparing them takes a lot of time and effort for everyone involved.
Laws too fragmented and complex
The high level of complexity and fragmentation of environmental law is not only a burden for applicants and planning offices, but also for those working in the authorities. A demanding procedural law with many participation and review requirements further exacerbates the situation. The shortage of skilled workers and the strained staffing situation in the authorities exacerbate the problems. In the view of those surveyed, digital instruments for managing procedures have not yet provided sufficient relief.
Solution: digitalization and standardization
Possible solutions include: a centrally provided, uniform digital infrastructure, a systematic revision of substantive law to harmonize and reduce the scope of checks, and greater standardization of processes. In addition, employees are calling for staff to be recruited and their skills strengthened.