Business Break: Green industry and red-tape bureaucracy

Bureaucracy, high energy prices, supply chain diligence - the challenges for entrepreneurs are many and varied at the moment. They were able to address their questions, concerns and challenges to Nadine Heselhaus, Member of the Bundestag (SPD) for the Borken district. She took part in the discussion about green industry last Thursday at the Business Break in Bocholt, which was organised by the Bocholt Business Association and the City of Bocholt's Economic Development Agency.

Cleaner, more efficient, more sustainable - as one automotive supplier described it, they are already doing this here; and they are doing it on their own initiative and without legal requirements. That is why it is harmful for entrepreneurship, which provides jobs and prosperity, to be subject to such strict controls. Another entrepreneur from the foundry industry added: "Regulations, obligations, reporting, documentation - the state regulates this down to the smallest detail instead of giving room for manoeuvre within fixed guidelines. A manager from a local bank summarised this bureaucracy as follows: "Today, we no longer receive circulars on new regulations, but circulars. Unfortunately, these hurdles can sometimes cause a loan to fail. Another uncertainty that entrepreneurs willing to invest, such as Dirk Engels, Managing Director of Isselguss, an energy-intensive company from Isselburg, certainly don't need. Engels, who took part in the panel discussion, said: "I would have to invest 25 million euros to make our smelting plant climate-neutral, but would then no longer be competitive in the current situation. In view of other disadvantages here in Germany, such as energy prices, taxes and charges, environmental regulations, documentation and reporting obligations, the question does not really arise at the moment."

Nadine Heselhaus explained the measures taken by the German government for the necessary transformation process and a successful business location Germany: "I am very happy about this direct and open exchange. We urgently need to speed up the approval process. We have already launched over 100 measures to this end. In view of the challenges, the state must act as a strategic investor and as a regulatory authority. This means we need to strengthen our investment power and offer companies guidance and a framework."

Moderator Jennifer Middelkamp from the Unternehmerverband summarised the entrepreneurial messages that the politician should take with her to Berlin as follows: "The energy supply must remain secure and affordable in the long term. If the economy remains in a state of uncertainty, this will have a negative impact on investment decisions in this country."