Today, the Federal Government has reached a milestone in its project to provide a broad range of online administrative services having received Federal Cabinet approval for the digital administration package, which consists of a bill to amend the Online Access Act. This establishes the framework for the further digitisation of the administration and is the key to user-friendly and fully digital procedures. The digital administration package also provides the cornerstones for a contemporary, forward-looking administration. Among other things, it establishes the framework for a tight dovetailing of the Online Access Act (OZG) with major projects such as digital identities. 

Nancy Faeser, the Federal Minister of the Interior and Community, welcomed the fact that the Federal Government, the Länder, and the municipal authorities are focusing on 15 particularly important services. For example, by 2024 at the latest, it will be possible to apply online for re-registration, marriage, building permits, or family allowance throughout Germany. "This represents a major benefit for the public as well as a milestone on the path to the digital state," she said.

This draft law will benefit ordinary members of the public, businesses, and the Federal Government itself. Among other things, this legislation will specifically regulate the following things:

For the citizenry

The BundID will be a central citizen account for everyone, which will enable members of the public to securely identify themselves and submit applications online. It will also be possible to communicate with the authorities and receive notices via a digital post box.

A manual signature will no longer be required. The online ID card function will make it possible in future to apply for all benefits online in a legally secure, simple, and uniform manner.

The responsibilities arising pursuant to existing data protection legislation are clearly regulated: for example, it is stated very clearly that all agencies developing services for nationwide use are also responsible for compliance with data protection requirements. Double checks due to unclearly defined responsibilities are now a thing of the past.

User-friendliness and easy access to electronic administrative services will be enshrined in law and care has been taken to ensure that all online state services are geared to the needs of all citizens.

Better advice on the use of online services through the use of the public authority number 115 will be provided to which end data protection law foundations will be established for the transfer of personal data.

For businesses

Businesses will soon be able to submit all applications via a single account making business services "purely digital". In concrete terms, this means that after a period of five years, all business-related administrative services will be offered exclusively online provided that they serve the execution of federal legislation as it pertains to business law, which will save the economy about 60 million euros per annum.

For the administration

Digitisation will mitigate the shortage of skilled workers and reduce employee workloads. 

In addition to these specific legislative advances, the Federal Government has set out further points in an accompanying paper that do not require legislation, but are just as important including, for example, the fact that the Federal Government will also take steps to ensure that state benefits will be easier to find online and will be identifiable as such.