Bavarian Enquete Commission proposes 193 measures to reduce bureaucracy

The Enquete Commission on Bureaucracy Reduction of the Bavarian State Parliament has presented its final report, containing 193 recommendations aimed at streamlining administration. The commission, which included members from all five parliamentary factions and external experts, emphasizes a principle of “trust before control,” suggesting that authorities should move toward risk-based and random sampling audits rather than constant oversight.

Key proposals include digitizing all building applications across Bavaria by 2030, unifying over 400 state funding programs, and reducing the number of legally mandated officers. The report also suggests reviewing the widespread use of civil servants to potentially lower the official quota and merging small municipalities into larger administrative communities to increase efficiency.

CSU Member of Parliament Martina Gießübel highlighted the need for more autonomy and less documentation in sectors such as nursing, schools, and volunteer work. While the report offers a comprehensive roadmap for reform, it is not a legislative draft; the state government and parliament must decide which recommendations to implement. Notably, 57 of the recommendations faced opposition, primarily from the SPD.