This is what the Federal Council decided - and rejected
*The Bundesrat is on the verge of approving several legislative proposals from the Federal Government and Bundestag over the weekend. The Bafoğ is increasing, as are the Cannabis limits in road traffic. In addition, the German Post is being relieved. Communities are receiving more power in setting up 30 km/h zones. However, the states are firm in their stance regarding the new sewage law. There is a new attempt being made to resolve objections in organ donation.
Bundesrat approves Bafoğ reform
The Bundesrat has approved the Bafoğ reform. Young people from low-income families will receive a state study grant of 1,000 Euro in the future. This grant will go to students under 25 years old from households receiving social assistance and will enable the purchase of a laptop.
Additionally, Bafoğ rates are increasing. The monthly basic need allowance will rise from 452 to 475 Euro, and the maximum allowance from 934 to 992 Euro. Further increases are planned for the housing cost supplement and parental deductions. The housing cost supplement will rise by 20 Euro to 380 Euro, and the parental deduction by 0.25 percentage points to 5.25 percent. There are also easements when changing study subjects.
Reform of the Post Law passed
The long-overdue reform of the outdated Post Law has been passed. The Bundesrat approved the first comprehensive amendment to the law since 1997. At that time, letters were much more important than in the present digital age, in which people communicate in their daily lives through emails and chats.
This changing demand is reflected in the law. It provides that the German Post will face significantly less time pressure for delivering letters in the future. The requirement that 80 percent of today's incoming mail must be delivered to the recipient by the next working day is abolished. Instead, a liability limit applies only from the third working day after delivery, and 95 percent of the mail must have arrived by the fourth working day. The Bundestag had already approved the reform in June.
New Cannabis limits in road traffic
A new Cannabis limit applies in road traffic: The Bundesrat approved that 3.5 nanograms of the intoxicating substance THC per milliliter of blood serum are allowed. Until now, driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs has been generally prohibited. Courts have recently set a threshold of one nanogram of THC per milliliter of blood.
Upon first exceeding the new limit, a fine of 500 Euro and a one-month driving ban are threatened. In addition, an alcohol ban applies for Cannabis consumers.
More flexibility for setting up bus lanes, bike lanes, and 30 km/h zones
Bus lanes, bike lanes, and 30 km/h zones will be able to be set up more easily in the future. The Bundesrat approved a regulation of the Federal Government that gives cities and municipalities more leeway for this. In addition, resident parking zones should no longer only be established in response to a significant "parking pressure" in a quarter. To protect against rear-end collisions, it will be forbidden for heavy goods vehicles to turn off their emergency braking systems at speeds above 30 km/h.
The new regulations are intended, according to plans of the Federal Ministry of Transport, to expand the framework for local decisions for specific conditions. Improvements are planned for the coexistence of cars, buses, trains, bicycles, and pedestrians.
Fertilizer Law Fails
The new Fertilizer Law has for now failed against the resistance of the states. The Bundesrat withheld its approval for the legislative amendment. Several state leaders had previously confirmed that the new rules would result in unnecessary bureaucracy, which would not help the environment.
With the new fertilizer regulations, EU law is to be implemented. It is about more transparency in fertilizer practices and ultimately a reduction of excessively high nitrate values in groundwater. In so-called "Red Areas" where there is much livestock farming or vegetable cultivation, groundwater is often heavily polluted. In these areas, all agricultural businesses must meet additional conditions and use less fertilizer.
Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir criticized the rejection. "This way, the path to more polluter responsibility remains blocked," he said. "But then one should be honest and tell agriculture that we don't want a polluter principle." It is unclear how it will continue.
New Organ Donation Initiative
New approach for more organ donations: A majority of the states have decided to submit a legislative draft on the introduction of the so-called opt-out system to the Bundestag. The opt-out system is "urgently necessary" due to low transplantation numbers, said Baden-Württemberg's Health Minister Manfred Lucha from the Greens. This is "no coercion - everyone is free to say, I donate my organs not."
The individual right to decide for or against an organ donation remains expressly unaffected in the state draft. The opt-out system provides that every person is considered an organ donor if they have not expressed a objection in their lifetime. The objection can be recorded in the Organ Donor Register, an Organ Donor ID, a patient directive, or in another way.
The states justified their initiative with the low number of donors and donations: This has been at a low level for over ten years, according to the draft. In the previous year, 8385 people had waited for an organ, but only 2877 organs from 965 people were donated. The Bundestag had already voted on an opt-out system in 2020, but there was no majority for it at the time.
- The Federal Council has expressed strong opposition to the proposed Cannabis legislation, hoping to maintain strict regulations in this area.
- Municipalities are pushing for changes in road traffic laws, advocating for a decrease in the maximum speed limit for certain areas to promote organic farming and environmental sustainability.
- In politics, there is a growing debate about the potential benefits of introducing Organic farming methods for German Post's delivery vehicles, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability.
- The Cannabis for Medical Purposes Act is under review by the Bundestag, with the German Post expressing its interest in playing a role in the distribution and delivery of medical cannabis products.
- Organ donation rates remain an ongoing concern for the Federal Council, leading to discussions on implementing alternative strategies, such as an opt-out system, to increase the number of donors and save more lives.
