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The Bundestag has today passed the Infrastructure Future Act, which is seen as a response to the critical condition of transport routes in Germany. The German Transport Forum (DVF) calls for a consistent implementation of the simplifications provided for in the law to accelerate the investment ramp-up in the infrastructure sector. Furthermore, the necessity of financing reforms and cut-off regulations is emphasized.
Urgent Need for Action on Infrastructure
Dr. Florian Eck, spokesperson for the DVF management, expressed concern about the state of transport routes and warned of an impending tipping point. He emphasized that both the economy and society expect the federal government and the Bundestag to exhaust all available options to quickly renovate and future-proof the infrastructures. The demanded measures include classifying transport routes as being of overriding public interest, setting clear deadlines, and streamlining and simplifying procedures. The digitization of planning and approval processes, as well as the elimination of redundancies in the approval procedures, are also central concerns.
Eck calls for a change in thinking among planning and approval authorities, which should be supported by the political leadership level. The acceleration of planning and approval processes is seen as part of a comprehensive approach that also includes adequate financing, planning-secure financing structures, partnership models, and modern tendering and awarding processes.
Necessary Reforms for Mobility
The DVF has initiated an Infrastructure Pact for Germany to demand further reforms that are essential for the mobility of the economy. The reform of transport infrastructure financing for roads, railways, and waterways must begin by 2027 with clearly assigned financing sources and adequately financed infrastructure plans.
Eck points out that there is also a need for further supplementation in the planning and approval processes. The accelerating approaches should be extended to all future investments to maximize their impact on all supply infrastructures such as transport, energy, and digitalization. Additionally, the application of so-called compensation funds is highlighted as an accelerating factor to bundle and finance compensatory measures for environmental and species protection across projects. The inclusion of airports, waterways, and waterway expansion for port enlargement into the overriding public interest is seen as a positive step.
Despite the recommendations from expert commissions, Eck states that cut-off regulations are still lacking, which would set a legal editorial deadline for the applicable legal situation in the process. The material preclusion at the EU level must also be addressed to limit the possibilities for objections. These points were promised in the coalition agreement and the Germany Pact. Eck emphasizes that this is not about restricting participation opportunities, but about the common goal of accelerating processes through temporally concentrated and coordinated participation phases.
