Weekly proceedings in Germany's federal parliament, the Bundestag

In the realm of law and policy, Germany has been making significant strides in a variety of areas. Here's a roundup of some of the key developments that have taken place in July 2025:

Gender Equality in Civil Registry

Transgender, intersex, and non-binary individuals now have the right to change their gender entry and given names in the civil registry without the need for medical documentation. This change can be made by simply declaring so at the registry office. The law aims to dismantle state discrimination and implement constitutional and human rights provisions.

Hydrogen Infrastructure Regulation

The federal government is deliberating a further amendment to the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) to launch the final details of the financing of the hydrogen backbone network and the second stage of hydrogen infrastructure regulation. The draft provides for instruments to enable the development of a comprehensive hydrogen grid based on the core network, with integrated grid development planning for hydrogen and natural gas to be introduced in the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) from 2025.

Nutrition Strategy

The Nutrition Strategy of the Federal Government aims to enable all people in Germany to have a healthy and sustainable diet, regardless of their level of education, income, or origin. The strategy provides for strengthening information work on sustainable and healthy nutrition in the non-school sector, such as at social and family offices.

Startchancen Program

The Startchancen program, a federal-state program to promote socioeconomically disadvantaged students, is set to begin in August 2025. The program aims to benefit one million students and halve the number of students who do not meet the minimum standards in German and mathematics.

Capital Investor Model Procedure Act (KapMuG)

The so-called Capital Investor Model Procedure Act (KapMuG) is set to expire on August 31, 2024. The federal government is introducing a bill to amend the KapMuG to expedite model procedures conducted at Higher Regional Courts, reduce the number of parties involved, and strengthen the position of the Higher Regional Court. The reformed KapMuG will also include the crypto sector.

Sidewalk Obstructions

There is no publicly available record or status update on a bill in Germany specifically to ban sidewalk obstructions and its penalties as of July 2025. The closest reference to sidewalks in Germany pertains to cycling restrictions rather than pedestrian or obstruction rules.

Digitalization of Justice

The federal government is debating a bill on further digitalization of justice, which includes simplifying the digital submission of criminal charges and enabling participants in criminal proceedings to participate in main trials by video conference.

To improve digital data exchange between immigration authorities and benefit agencies, the federal government is debating a bill to adapt data transmission provisions in immigration and social law (DUV-AdaptG).

CAP Conditionalities Act

The federal government is introducing a bill this week to amend the CAP Conditionalities Act to create the legal basis for introducing social conditionalities in Germany.

AZR and Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act

The AZR will also become the central storage location and foreigner file system, and legal hurdles for access to the automated retrieval procedure from the AZR will be removed. The bill aims to include the payment card for refugees as an option in the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act.

Hydrogen Infrastructure Financing

Initially, these will be capped to prevent potentially high initial network charges from hindering the hydrogen ramp-up, and financing through grid fees will be extended until 2055 using an "amortization account". The federal government's bill provides for the private-sector financing of the hydrogen backbone network, with the investment and operating costs to be covered entirely through network charges.

Occupational and Employment Conditions

The specific requirements for occupational and employment conditions and employer obligations will be detailed in a separate legal ordinance. Violations of existing obligations will be penalized with sanctions on CAP direct payments in the future.

The EU CAP reform includes a social component, linking EU direct payments to compliance with occupational health and safety standards from January 1, 2025. Direct payments to landlords will be permitted, and cash can be paid out if certain needs under the SGB XII cannot be covered with the payment card.

Education Financing

The Startchancen program makes education financing more targeted, with funds going to schools based on social criteria.

Hydrogen Infrastructure Regulation: Details on Emissions

The draft also provides for instruments to enable the development of a comprehensive hydrogen grid based on the core network, with integrated grid development planning for hydrogen and natural gas to be introduced in the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) from 2025. The law aims to protect staff from interference and improve the statistical overview of the regional supply of facilities that perform abortions.

Balanced Diet and Exercise

The strategy includes a balanced diet and adequate exercise, a plant-based diet with more vegetables, fruits, and legumes, and socially just access to healthy and sustainable nutrition. The offer of sustainably and ecologically produced food should also be increased, food waste reduced, and communal catering improved.

In the health-and-wellness sector, a balanced diet and exercise are emphasized in the Nutrition Strategy of the Federal Government.
The strategy advocates for a plant-based diet with more vegetables, fruits, and legumes for a healthy lifestyle.
The industry also aims to ensure socially just access to healthy and sustainable nutrition for all Germans.
Meanwhile, in the science field, Germany is making advancements in hydrogen infrastructure regulation.
The federal government is deliberating a bill to launch the final details of the financing of the hydrogen backbone network.
The draft also provides for instruments to enable the development of a comprehensive hydrogen grid based on the core network.
In finance, the Capital Investor Model Procedure Act (KapMuG) is set to expire but the federal government is introducing a bill to amend it.
The reformed KapMuG will also include the crypto sector, demonstrating the industry's interest in digital assets.
In terms of data and cloud computing, there's a bill on further digitalization of justice, which includes simplifying the digital submission of criminal charges.
Participants in criminal proceedings will also be enabled to participate in main trials by video conference.
The lifestyle sector is not left behind, as policy-makers are discussing a bill to improve digital data exchange between immigration authorities and benefit agencies.
The bill aims to streamline processes and enhance the efficiency of social benefits administration.
In the realm of relationships, the Gender Equality in Civil Registry law now allows transgender, intersex, and non-binary individuals to change their gender entry and given names without the need for medical documentation.
In the field of personal growth and education-and-self-development, the Startchancen program is expected to begin in August 2025.
This program is aimed at socioeconomically disadvantaged students, with the goal of halving the number of students who do not meet the minimum standards in German and mathematics.
In the realm of investing, the Nutrition Strategy also provides opportunities for the food-and-drink industry, aiming to increase the offer of sustainably and ecologically produced food.
To reduce food waste, the strategy also encourages improved communal catering and a reduction in food waste.
In the home-and-garden sector, policy-makers are developing the hydrogen infrastructure regulation, which aims to protect staff from interference and improve the statistical overview of the regional supply of facilities that perform abortions.
In the business world, the CAP Conditionalities Act is being amended to create the legal basis for introducing social conditionalities in Germany.
This includes linking EU direct payments to compliance with occupational health and safety standards from January 1, 2025.
In the realm of career-development, the specific requirements for occupational and employment conditions and employer obligations will be detailed in a separate legal ordinance.
Violations of these obligations will be penalized with sanctions on CAP direct payments in the future.

Weekly proceedings in Germany's federal parliament, the Bundestag