(de-news.net) – In the Coalition Committee, the CDU/CSU and SPD concluded that essential infrastructure projects must, going forward, be completed at a significantly faster pace. Chancellor Friedrich Merz elaborated on this decision, explaining that the coalition had reached agreement on the core elements of an Infrastructure Acceleration Act. This framework would classify bottlenecks on federal transportation routes or rail projects as matters of overriding public interest, a designation expected to simplify administrative procedures to a considerable degree. Through this shift, it was anticipated that approval processes would be shortened and that major construction efforts could proceed more rapidly. Merz further indicated that, under this new legal category, the government intended to prioritize the entire national infrastructure program and ensure that building activities advanced with greater procedural efficiency.

Although environmental protection would remain a central policy concern, Merz argued that it should no longer be permitted to delay urgent measures through excessively prolonged administrative reviews. To maintain ecological balance, the coalition planned to strengthen compensatory and replacement mechanisms, while at the same time narrowing the ability of environmental associations to initiate legal challenges. The CDU/CSU and SPD also committed themselves to accelerating the electrification of railroad lines and agreed that environmental impact assessments would no longer be required for routes of up to sixty kilometers, a change intended to remove regulatory bottlenecks in the rail sector.

Construction Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) stated that the committee’s decisions created renewed momentum for faster construction activity. She emphasized that streamlined procedures, greater flexibility in procurement, and the prioritization of infrastructure projects supported by special funds would enable the system to move more quickly from planning to full implementation.