New Laws and Regulations August 2017

Kama kawa, new month in Germany = new laws and regulations. Here’s what to expect this month.

Family Law

No marriage for teens

This month will see a law that allowed 16 year olds to apply for a special licence that allowed them to get married abolished. Henceforth, only adults aged above 18 will be allowed to marry.

For those that are already married, if the marriage took place when at least one partner was underage, then the possibility to have the marriage annulled is open.

 

Healthcare Laws

Cheaper Health Insurance for Pensioners (9/10)

Pensioners who might have taken time off from work to take care of children or were insured under their partner’s policy have the new 9/10 law to celebrate. This new law that comes into effect this month, will allow such pensioners to fall back into the favourable policy. For each child, three years will be calculated into the pre-insurance period for the pensioner (Krankenversicherung der Rentner (KVdR). To find out if this applies to you, please get in touch with your health insurance provider.

 

Additional Occupational Diseases

From 5th of August, employees will have five additional diseases recognized as occupational diseases (Berufskrankheiten, BKV).  Focal dystonia (muscle cramps) among instrumentalists, ovarian cancer due to asbestos, leukemia due to chemical strangeness, skin cancer due to tar and nystagmus (Augenzittern) in the case of mountainclimbers will henceforth be recognised as occupational diseases.

What this means is that the affected are covered by statutory accident insurance thus allowing them to get personal protective clothing while at work. If the disease cannot be cured, then the affected is legible to early retirement due to occupational illness. Those affected should contact their GP and their long-term care insurance.

 

Consumer Laws

Simpler Public Transport Tariffs in NRW

For those living in NRW, you’ll be getting a single tariff from the conglomeration of five areas. Münsterland, Ruhr-Lippe, Westfalen-Süd, Hochstift and Sechser will join to form the single Westfalen Tariff. This means, you will only need one single ticket to transverse the whole area instead of having to get a separate ticket from each area.

 

Higher Grants from the State for Protecting your Home

Afraid of a burglary and you want to invest in technology and gadgets to make your home burglar-proof? Then the German state is here to support you with higher grants. Anyone spending anything from 500 euros upwards is legible for the grant.

 

Criminal Law

Tougher Penalties for Burglars

Burglars will face tougher sentences with a minimum of 12 months imprisonment for breaking into a home. The police will also be allowed to access traffic information from the suspect much faster.

 

Amnesty for Illegal Weapons

In an attempt to reduce the number of illegal weapons in the country, the police have created an amnesty and requested anyone with a non-registered weapon or ammunition to report it to the police. Amnesty means that those who report will not be punished for doing so.

However, if failure to report and/or hand in the illegal weapons during the amnesty period, will result in long imprisonment periods and stiffer financial penalties.

 

Entreprise Law

Loss of jobs at SolarWorld

SolarWorld employees in Bonn, will this month no longer have a job after the company filed for bankruptcy in May this year.

 

Stricter waste Separation laws for companies

Companies will now face stricter waste separation laws, most especially construction companies. This law will also handle the documentation of waste produced by companies. A more detailed explanation on what the law handles has been shared by the Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks e.V. here.