The 2025 coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD entitled "Responsibility for Germany" sets out the political roadmap for the 21st legislative period in Germany. It addresses key challenges such as weak economic growth. The aim is to renew Germany through comprehensive reforms. The VERE Association summarises below the passages of the coalition agreement (translated into English) that are important for producers, sellers and importers of non-food products:
- Based on the National Circular Economy Strategy, we will develop a key issues paper with measures that can be realised in the short term. We are reforming Section 21 of the Packaging Act and implementing the EU Packaging Regulation in a practicable manner. We are integrating chemical recycling into the existing waste hierarchy. We are strengthening strategies for waste avoidance, the use of recyclates and the shared economy.
- We are optimising waste collection for batteries and electrical appliances.
- In the textile sector, we are introducing extended producer responsibility.
- We prevent unnecessary burdens at European level. This includes the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) not being applied through the introduction of the “zero-risk variant”.
- In addition, we want to prevent excessive regulations for sustainable investments (taxonomy), sustainability reporting (CSRD), the supply chain due diligence obligation (CSDDD), the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), conflict minerals or the unmanageable amount of delegated acts.
- We support the European omnibus procedure on supply chain due diligence (CSDDD), sustainability reporting (CSRD), taxonomy and carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) and are in favour of a low-bureaucracy solution, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
- We create legal and planning certainty and support companies in implementing the law properly.
- When transposing EU law into national law, we rule out bureaucratic overfulfilment [VERE e.V. note: see “gold plating”]. We reject parallel regulation at European and national level.
The VERE Association will keep you informed about further developments. Would you also like to have your interests represented by a strong SME association? Then join our VERE Association today: thanks to our many thousands of members, the annual membership fee is only €25.00 plus VAT (can be cancelled annually). You can find the VERE membership application here:
