The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) reports successes on a major construction site of administrative digitalization. By the end of 2024, the federal government made all 115 services prioritized under the Online Access Act (OZG) available through the web or app. These are the most important administrative services. The relevant goals of the OZG have been “fully achieved”, at least for the federal government, BMI insists. For example, child benefit or educational loans can now be applied for digitally on www.bund.de. The portal can also be used to report maternity leave, display charging points for electric cars and provide information on professional qualifications for foreign skilled workers, among other things.
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way behind schedule
Additionally, more than 100 of the most commonly used federal administrative services can now be used “digitally across individual states and municipalities,” the department reports. However, we are still working on nationwide availability throughout Germany. For example, digital registration of residence after a move is possible in 15 of the 20 largest German cities. In total, more than 35 million citizens in the connected municipalities can use the service. Interior Minister Nancy Feser (SPD) was pleased that in many cases it is no longer necessary to go to the office.
The OZG, passed in 2017, basically obliges the federal government, states and municipalities to offer their administrative services digitally. The biggest concern is to enable secure, fast and user-friendly interactions between citizens, companies and administration. The original OZG had actually stipulated that 575 service bundles related to e-government should be made available online across the board by the end of 2022. Ultimately, the result was only 33 by the deadline. The OZG amendment, which the federal and state governments agreed to in July, no longer includes any such blanket deadline.
States and municipalities are lagging behind
Current status of implementation of important projects for digitalization of public administration Can be viewed through dashboardThis shows that states and municipalities in particular are falling behind. Almost no implementation has been reported for services in the areas of law and order, cross-sectional services and research and funding. Things are hardly better when it comes to commitment and hobbies as well as immigration and emigration. Hamburg is leading, where 290 OZG services can be used online across the board (maturity level 2). Brandenburg, Saxony and Saarland have just under 200 each. With maturity level 3, proof no longer has to be presented in the same way. Online applications for Bafog and citizen benefits are most in demand.
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The Federal Audit Office complained that only 5 percent of cross-state “one-for-all” online services (EFAs) were used across the board in July 2024. “This means that 95 percent of EFA solutions that have been fully funded by the federal government are largely in use in only one state or municipality or are even wasted investments.” If states and municipalities do not make huge progress in launching online services by mid-2025, EU funding will end. With OZG 2.0, responsibility for data protection now clearly lies with the authority that operates the EfA service. This means that hundreds of often complex agreements with subsequent authorities will no longer be necessary.
(mho)
