Only a few administrative procedures in Germany can be completed digitally. That should change now. The traffic light coalition has agreed on this. From 2028, citizens should even be able to assert the right to digital administrative services.
In a few years, people in Germany should have the right to complete most administrative procedures online. This is what the new edition of the Online Access Act (OZG 2.0) provides for, which the FDP, Greens and SPD factions have agreed on.
The right to digital administrative services should be able to be claimed at the administrative court from 2028, according to the draft law. However, the legal claim does not apply to services for which digital provision is “technically and legally” impossible or which are rarely used. It should also not be possible to claim damages.
Pressure for implementation is increasing
Within two years – i.e. after the next federal election – the Federal Ministry of the Interior should define standards and interfaces for online access to administrative services. The federal government could also provide impetus for the digitalization of administration in the federal states and municipalities. After its adoption in the Bundestag, the OZG 2.0 also depends on the approval of the Bundesrat.
“This right strengthens every citizen with the right to be able to use administrative services online and thus increases the pressure for implementation,” said the digital policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Maximilian Funke-Kaiser, to the dpa news agency.
Easier to use
A simplified log-in that approximates online banking practices should contribute to better acceptance of the central federal account (Federal ID). Until now, citizens have had to identify themselves with their electronic identity card (“ePerso”) every time they dial in. In the future, this should only be necessary the first time. After that, confirmation using biometric features is sufficient, such as FaceID on the iPhone.
In the future, the procedure should also be based on the security level of online banking if someone has forgotten the six-digit PIN for their “ePerso”. As part of the current austerity measures, the Ministry of the Interior decided to no longer send reset letters with which users can reset their PIN. According to reports, the coalition now wants to stick to sending letters. The replacement PINs should be sent in an 85-cent letter, as is also done by banks. Until the procedure used so far, 13 euros accrued per reset letter.
More Payment options
Payment should also become easier – if citizens have to pay fees at the office. The authorities should offer several common payment methods that are “as barrier-free as possible and sufficiently secure”. According to reports, this includes not only cash and the widely used Girocard, but also credit and debit cards, PayPal and other digital payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
The draft for the OZG 2.0 also stipulates that open standards and open interfaces should primarily be used in the future. “Open source software (should) be used with priority over software whose source code is not publicly accessible or whose license restricts use, distribution and modification,” the draft says. However, it remained unclear whether this would allow continued use of software packages such as Microsoft Office, which are not offered open source.
digitalization There are still many gaps in the administration
The traffic light coalition is lagging behind current law in its efforts to digitize administration. The first version of the Online Access Act requires authorities to make exactly 581 government services available online since the end of 2022. At the end of 2023, only 81 of the so-called OZG services could be used completely online. According to a study by the comparison portal Verivox, 96 other official services were at least partially available online. Unlike OZG 1.0, the new law does not provide for any mandatory intermediate steps before 2028.
The fact that Germany is making too slow progress in digitalization is an impression that has become solidified among the population and among managers in recent years. “The existing obstacles and the structural errors of the previous government will now be corrected,” promises Misbah Khan, digital expert for the Greens. The member of the Bundestag admits that this is “certainly a challenge given the initial situation and the various responsibilities of the federal, state and local governments”.