After reaching an agreement with the justice ministers of the federal states, Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann expects progress on larger digitization projects such as the development of a nationwide database land register.
"We want to invest the first 50 million of the 200 million from the digitization initiative this year," said the FDP politician to the German Press Agency. The money will be used primarily in important projects such as the database land register and register procedures.
agreement after a long dispute
The development of a nationwide database land register is a joint project of all 16 federal states. A procedure for processing, storing and displaying the land register in a structured, electronic form is to be developed. The procedure is intended to replace the existing systems in the federal states by taking over the data contained therein.
After months of argument, Buschmann and his departmental colleagues from the federal states agreed yesterday on a joint strategy for the digitization of the judiciary. After the meeting, Bavaria's Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich (CSU) and Hamburg's Justice Senator Anna Gallina (Greens) said they had agreed on specific projects and a common strategy.
Buschmann has promised the federal states up to 200 million euros for projects to digitize their judicial authorities in the coming years. Other funds - for example for additional positions - are not part of his offer. From the point of view of the federal states, the amount offered by Buschmann is only a "down payment", emphasized Eisenreich.
Digitization of the judiciary is a major task
To make access to the law easier and more modern for citizens, a justice portal with online services should be developed in the future, Buschmann told the dpa. There will be a feasibility study for this. The same applies to important future topics such as the judicial cloud and IT standards. "We are drilling very thick boards there," emphasized the minister.
Buschmann describes the digitization of the judiciary as a major task that can only be achieved together. It is therefore good that agreement has now been reached on better networking and coordination. In principle, however, the equipment of the judiciary is a task of the federal states. There are narrow limits for the federal government in terms of support.
Although the budget situation is significantly more tense than in the past election period in view of the many crises, the digitization initiative of the federal government now has 200 million euros, roughly the same volume as the past pact for the rule of law, in which the focus was on more staff in 2019 may be.
