Germany - Modernisation Agenda for the State and Public Administration

With the Modernisation Agenda for the State and Public Administration, adopted in October 2025, the German Federal Government presented a cross-departmental roadmap for modernising the federal administration. The strategy aims to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic burdens on citizens, businesses and public administration, simplify administrative processes and further digitalise public services.

The Agenda comprises more than 80 individual measures across five action areas. In addition, 23 projects with particularly strong leverage have been identified. Implementation is monitored against specific deadlines and targets.

Five action areas for modernisation

The Modernisation Agenda structures the planned reforms into five action areas covering different aspects of state and administrative activity.

1. Tangible reduction in bureaucracy

Unnecessary bureaucratic burdens on citizens, businesses and public administration are to be removed, and excessively complex regulations simplified. At the same time, implementation is to be accelerated through solution-oriented and non-bureaucratic approaches. One key objective is to reduce administrative costs for businesses by 25 per cent. Measures include strengthening mechanisms to curb bureaucracy and introducing digital tools such as an online portal for reporting bureaucratic burdens.

2. Better regulation and law-making

New regulations are to be designed from the outset to meet the needs of those affected, to be workable in practice and suitable for digital implementation, while also taking opportunities for automation into account. Law as Code may be used as one instrument in this context. More generally, the Agenda also stipulates that regulations should not be introduced where they are not necessary.

3. Citizen- and business-centric service

Public services are to be designed to be digital, efficient and centred on the needs of their users. Citizens and businesses should increasingly experience the state as a partner. Key areas of application identified in the Agenda include accelerating administrative procedures and reforming the welfare state. Specific key projects include the centralisation of digital vehicle registration, enabling businesses to be set up digitally within 24 hours, and the Work-and-Stay Agency.

4. Future-oriented staff development and strategic human resources management

Modernisation also involves the targeted development and strengthening of skills within the federal administration. Staff are to acquire skills in areas including digitalisation, data analytics, visualisation and user-centred service design. Training in project, digital and management skills is planned, alongside the “Modern State” learning pathway.

5. Efficient federal administration

The fifth action area aims to simplify and reduce administrative activity at federal level. Plans include reducing the federal workforce by eight per cent and material costs by ten per cent, as well as reducing the number of federal authorities and administrative units. At the same time, federal data centres, IT services and networks are to be consolidated further. Software and AI applications are to be developed and procured centrally, while taking specific requirements into account.

Implementation, AI and funding

AI forms part of several key projects. AI-based review mechanisms and decision-support systems are, for example, to be used in court and visa procedures.

No overall budget is specified for the Modernisation Agenda. As a general principle, any additional financial or staffing requirements are to be met within the existing budget appropriations and staffing plans of the federal ministries and departments concerned. In addition, an Efficiency Fund is envisaged to provide financial support for efficiency projects within the federal administration.

The Modernisation Agenda is intended to serve as a working framework for the legislative term and may be supplemented by further measures introduced by individual federal ministries and departments. The Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation is responsible for implementation. It continuously reviews progress and further develops the Agenda accordingly.

First progress report from June 2026

The first progress report on the Modernisation Agenda for the State and Public Administration was adopted in June 2026. According to the report, all 60 measures agreed for short-term implementation are under way, with 15 already fully implemented. Implementation progress has been achieved on almost 100 of the 223 measures in total.

Examples cited include simplifications aimed at reducing bureaucracy, digital procedures in the civil justice system, and planned digital public services such as automated child benefit provided without the need for an application, digital proof of identity and a digital vehicle registration document. The report also states that measures generating more than eight billion euros in annual reductions in administrative burdens have been initiated since November 2025.