German rubber industry criticises overregulation under European laws

Frankfurt/Main, Germany – The German rubber industry is suffering from “excessive reporting obligations”, as the country over-regulates processes, according to the industry association WDK.

“There are three options when it comes to implementing European laws: Underfulfilment, fulfilment and overfulfilment,” explained WDK president Michael Klein on 20 Sept.

Unfortunately, Germany tends to “regularly regulate more than is necessary,” Klein added.

Calling for moderation when transposing EU directives into national law, Klein said German enterprises, including the rubber industry, are under considerable bureaucratic burden.

“German laws often go beyond the minimum requirements of the EU. Despite all its enthusiasm for Europe, the German government must not lose sight of the interests of its own economy,” he added.

According to Klein, German companies are confronted with particularly high standards in the area of chemicals regulation, while in other EU countries the requirements are interpreted less strictly.

For instance, Klein cited the German ‘drinking water ordinance’, which implements the EU Drinking Water Directive.

According to the industry leader, the German positive list for organic materials contains significantly fewer substances than the EU list, which means further restrictions for the use of materials.

In contrast, a manufacturer from another EU country could import substances into Germany that are banned under the German list but permitted under the European list, due to a lack of market surveillance.

“This leads to avoidable competitive disadvantages for German companies in a European comparison,” Klein pointed out.

Furthermore, Klein said the overregulation reflected Germany's tendency to strive to be 'top of the class', often without considering the economic consequences.

“A rethink and a change of direction by the federal legislator are therefore urgently required,” he concluded.