German Red-Tape Drive to Slash €16 Billion From Cost Burden

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s ruling coalition agreed on a bundle of reforms designed to streamline and digitalize administration and cut red tape that it said will save €16 billion ($18.8 billion) in bureaucracy costs.

The package, which includes more than 80 separate measures, is meant to lay the foundation for a “fundamental renewal” of the state and reduce the burden on citizens and businesses, according to a government statement on Wednesday.