Cabinet wants to accelerate Bundeswehr procurement on 16 July

Berlin – The planned law for faster procurement in the Bundeswehr is to be passed by the Federal Cabinet on July 16 and will bundle numerous measures for this purpose. "The second acceleration law will shorten the legal process," Annette Lehnigk-Emden, President of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), whose proposals were incorporated into the draft law, told the "Tagesspiegel" newspaper. "If the first instance judges that our procurement procedure was fair, it will no longer have a suspensive effect in the future if the losing manufacturer goes to the second instance." In addition, she stated that simpler and faster procurement rules should apply to all "Bundeswehr requirements" and not just to "military equipment" as before, since "civilian goods are also being purchased, which are subject to stricter procurement criteria." Furthermore, even smaller expenditures will no longer have to be specifically budgeted for before the Bundeswehr Procurement Office can approach companies: "In the future, this restriction will no longer apply." Lehnigk-Emden pointed out that even with the measures taken so far – an initial law, decrees from the ministry, and the halving of internal regulations from 160 to 80 – "procurement procedures now take up to 30 percent less." According to the office, a total of 12,142 new purchase contracts with a total volume of €36.7 billion were concluded last year – an average of 33 per day.