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WHAT CHANGES IN GERMANY

What changes are coming to German supermarkets in 2023?

Whether introducing their own deposit systems, enabling all types of payments or introducing labels about animal welfare, we look at the big changes coming to supermarkets around Germany in 2023.

Published: 19 December 2022 16:03 CET
Updated: 20 December 2022 11:44 CET

A customer in a supermarket hands over a €5 note.Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Moritz Frankenberg

New animal welfare label

Pork is a ubiquitous product in German supermarkets, with 50 million pigs slaughtered in Germany in 2021 alone. Starting next year, it will be possible to see how well they were treated with the new Tierhaltungskennzeichen (animal husbandry label), which will indicate the animals’ living conditions.

The label, intended to create more transparency for consumers and provide information about the origin of their meat, was initiated by Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir of the Greens. The categories include Bio (organic), Auslauf/Freiland (free range), Frischluftstall (fresh air barn), Stall+Platz (barn+place) or only Stall (barn).

The label will initially just apply to pigs but Özdemir is pushing for it to be expanded to other livestock as well.

Aldi Nord gets fresh

There are likely to be big changes for customers at discounter Aldi Nord in 2023 through its self-described Store Layout 2.0 DE. The discount chain is planning a comprehensive store makeover by the end of next year. As part of its new store structure, Aldi will also be placing fresh produce in a spacious section at the front of the store. The aim is to become the “number one fresh produce discounter,” according to a spokesperson.

The ‘Nord’ branch of the discount supermarket is situated in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and the northern parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse.

A woman buys groceries in a German supermarket. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hauke-Christian Dittrich

Edeka launches its own deposit system

The full-range retailer is set to launch its own Pfand system. Customers can use the new “Regood” containers at hot counters, salad bars and in-house restaurants. They can be returned to any Edeka store for the deposit price.

The system gives the supermarket a sustainable leg up on its competitors. In 2022, Lidl recorded lower demand for non-food items, and will be throwing out many such products in the coming year, German broadcaster reporter RTL recently reported.

At all supermarkets, it’s already possible to return bottles and many types of glass for a refund, as well as recycle old electronics.

Paperless advertising

Popular chain Rewe is doing away with paper handouts as advertising brochures from July 1st, 2023. However, this change is not going down well with all customers. Many took to Facebook to complain that older customers in particular do not always have access to digital brochures.

Easier payments at Kaufland

Starting in summer 2023, customers at megachain Kaufland will be able to buy their goods with just about every type of payment, including Girocard, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Vpay, GooglePay, ApplePay and of course cash.

New mandatory reusable packaging

Another overarching change is the mandatory re-usability for delivery services, catering services and restaurants. From January 1st, 2023, delivery and catering services, as well as restaurants and cafes (including those situated in supermarkets), will be required to offer reusable containers in addition to single-use packaging for takeaway food and drink.

Small businesses with a maximum of five employees and a sales area of up to 80 square meters are exempt from this rule. However, they should point out to their customers that the food they have ordered can also be filled using their own containers.

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Everything that changes in Germany in August 2024

Profession experience to be formally recognised

On August 1st, a new piece of legislation designed to make on-the-job training more attractive and support people without formal qualifications will enter into force.

Under the new Vocational Validation and Digitalisation Act, people without a university degree or other professional qualifications will be able to get their work experience certified as a qualification.

Applicants must have worked in a relevant field 1.5 times the duration of the equivalent training – for a three-year university course, that would equate 4.5 years of professional experience – and be at least 25 years old.

The validation process will be widely available from January 2025 through chambers of industry, commerce, and crafts.

Changes to train routes

From August 16th to December 14th, ICE journeys between Hamburg and Berlin will take 45 minutes longer due to a diversion via Stendal. This will bring the journey up to 2.5 hours.

Only one train per hour will run between the two cities during this time, and the EC trains to Dresden and Prague will begin and end in Berlin instead of Hamburg.

Due to construction work, the night trains from Berlin to Paris and Brussels will be cancelled between August 12th to October 25th. These new connections were added to the rail schedule back in December, travelling via Halle, Erfurt and Mannheim.

New rules on cannabis consumption for drivers

Following the legalisation of cannabis possession and the introduction of licensed cannabis clubs in Germany, the government is introducing new laws to regulate driving under the influence.

From August this year, authorities will be entitled to check the level of THC – the psychoactive compound in weed – contained in drivers’ bloodstreams. According to the new law, this should be no more than 3.5 nanograms per millilitre.

Exceeding this limit can result in fines up to €3,000, with higher fines if alcohol is also involved. For new drivers and drivers under 21 years old, any level of THC is banned.

Slower postal deliveries

Starting in August, letters sent to recipients in Germany can take up to three working days to arrive, rather than the previous two. These changes were set out in the government’s recent Postal Modernisation Act, which is due to come into force on August 1st.

A truck drives onto the premises of the Deutsche Post DHL branch in the Anderten district of Hannover.

A truck drives onto the premises of the Deutsche Post DHL branch in the Anderten district of Hannover. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Moritz Frankenberg

In addition to companies like DHL and Hermes, the government is also planning to allow more competition on the parcel delivery market in the hopes of improving the service for consumers. However, new companies on the market must still comply with German labour laws such as the minimum wage and maximum working hours.

When packages weigh more than 10kg or 20kg, they will need to be labelled accordingly.

Young people gain right to an apprenticeship

From August 1st, more young people will have the right to state-supported vocational training if they are learning disabled, socially disadvantaged, or live in areas with insufficient training opportunities.

Employers who offer training and apprenticeships will receive a bigger bonus of €3,000 for transitioning trainees into company-based training.

In addition, vocational colleges will be permitted to carry out more of their training and examinations digitally.

The new apprenticeship guarantee builds on a previous piece of legislation designed to encourage young people into vocational training programmes.

The older law provides for trainees and interns to be supported with accommodation and travel costs so that they can complete an apprenticeship in another town or city.

According to Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD), one of the major problems facing skilled trades in Germany is not the lack of apprenticeship places, but the lack of applicants to fill them.

More generous grants for students

This August, BAföG – Germany’s financial aid scheme for students – will increase in time for the next semester.

The basic monthly allowance will rise from €452 to €475, while the housing allowance for students living away from home will increase from €360 to €380 Euros.

Health and care insurance subsidies will also be adjusted to account for the higher costs.

Students at Heidelberg University sit in a lecture hall. Photo: picture alliance / Uwe Anspach/dpa | Uwe Anspach

Additionally, students from very low-income families will receive an initial grant of €1,000 when starting a course at a university.

The income threshold for students’ additional earnings will also increase to €538 per month.

A new “flexibility semester” is set to come into force, allowing students to claim their BAföG grants for an additional semester if they need longer to finish their studies.

In addition, an extended deadline for changing study programs will be introduced.

Dozens of Galleria branches close

Due to ongoing insolvency proceedings, nine of Galeria’s remaining 92 stores will close on August 31st this year.

According to a statement on the department store’s website, the affected stores include: Galeria Augsburg, Galeria Berlin Ringcenter, Galeria Berlin Tempelhof, Galeria Chemnitz, Galeria Essen, Galeria Leonberg, Galeria Regensburg, Galeria Trier and Galeria Wesel.

Around 1,400 of Galeria’s 12,800 staff are likely to lose their jobs following the closures.

Higher wages for trainee painters and stonemasons

Apprentices in the painting and varnishing trades are set to see their wages go up this August.

First-year apprentices will earn 800 per month, second-year apprentices will earn €885, and third-year apprentices will earn €1,050.

Young people training to be stonemasons will also get an income boost, earning €925 per month in the first year, €1,025 in the second year and €1,175 in their third year of training.

An apprentice stonemason works on a project.

An apprentice stonemason works on a project. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Martin Schutt

Gender self-recognition becomes easier

On August 1st, the government’s new Self-Determination Act, which broadens rights for trans people, enters into force in Germany.

The self-determination act makes it easier for someone in Germany to change their gender entry and first name simply by submitting a declaration to the registry office. There is no longer a requirement for a medical certificate, expert opinion or court order, as previously mandated under the 1980 Transsexual Act.

The self-determination act only affects the process for changing genders with the registry. It does not make any provisions for physical interventions, such as hormone therapies or gender reassignment surgery.

Subsidies for green energy systems open up

In line with the government’s Heating Bill, which encourages households to swap out old heating systems for eco-friendly ones, landlords, single-family homeowners and apartment owners will be able to apply for subsidies to exchange their heating systems from August.

Up to 70 percent of the costs of a new heating system can be subsidised by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), with subsidies depending only partly on household income.

A heat pump at a house in Germany.

A heat pump at a home in Germany. Eco-friendly heating systems are eligible for government subsidies. Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP

There are also changes on the horizon for people with solar panel installations on their balcony or roof. In many cases, people with solar panels produce an surplus of energy that they feed back into the grid in order to turn a profit. The amount people can earn this way will drop by one percent from August.

For systems up to 10 kWp, the new rate will be 8.04 cents per kWh if partially fed into the grid and 12.73 cents per kWh if fully fed. Systems between 10 and 40 kWp will have rates of 6.95 and 10.68 cents per kWh, respectively, and systems between 40 and 100 kWp will receive 5.68 and 10.68 cents per kWh.

Local governments could introduce 30km/h zones

Under pressure from local authorities and campaigners, the government recently passed a sweeping reform of its Road Traffic Act to allow local governments to have more control over their streets.

Rather than prioritising cars at all times, districts can now point to other considerations like health or the environment in order to introduce new speed limits, pedestrian zones and cycle lanes.

Specifically, local authorities can more easily implement 30 km/h speed limits near playgrounds, school routes, and pedestrian crossings – a measure many regions have been calling for.

Though no specific date has yet been said for introducing the amended law, it’s likely to come into effect at the end of July or early August.

Tax deadline extended

The official deadline for mandatory tax declarations is August 31st this year. However, since this date falls on a Sunday, taxpayers in Germany will have until Monday, September 2nd to submit their documents to the Finanzamt.

For most employees in Germany, filling in a tax return is not compulsory, but certain groups of people, including those with second sources of incomes and the self-employed, must submit declarations annually.

Employees can also often benefit from submitting a non-mandatory tax declaration as it allows them to write off work-related expenses and thereby reduce their tax burden.

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