Gerd Röders was recently elected as the new President of the WirtschaftsVereinigung Metalle (WVMetalle). This organization represents the interests of the non-ferrous metal industry in Germany, advocating for the economic and political concerns of its members. Röders, the managing partner of the foundry G.A. Röders GmbH & Co. KG in Soltau, has been involved with WVMetalle since 2019 and has now been chosen to lead the association.
In his new role, Röders emphasizes the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as drivers of innovation and sustainability. He aims to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and foster a culture of mutual trust between the state and businesses. Röders believes that this shift from a protection mentality to a responsibility mentality is crucial for the continued success of the industry in Germany and Europe.
Reversal of the Burden of Proof
Recently, as an expert in the legal committee, he had the opportunity to discuss with members of the German Bundestag the impacts of the proposed bureaucracy relief law. Bureaucracy burdens our economy. It's not easy to pinpoint one measure that particularly affects us; rather, it's the accumulation of measures that heavily hinders our work, Röders emphasizes. German legislation forces companies at many points to prove that they are acting in compliance with the law. Politicians, administration, and police should actually assume that laws and regulations are being followed and only punish violations when they are proven by the state. Instead, a reversal of the burden of proof occurs, leading to many unnecessary laws, bureaucracy, and resentment.
As long as this fundamental problem is not changed, relief laws will not help much.
Röders reports that the discussion in the committee was at a high level and that he found himself reflected in the majority of statements made by experts, who mostly represented associations and institutions. He saw it as his task to provide a few illustrative examples from practice, which led to him being referred to as a "favorite SME representative" by one of the deputies.
It is highly positive that the work at WVMetalle, BDGuss, or the BDI SME Committee gives Röders the opportunity to be heard. Employees in these associations work daily and intensively for this purpose. It would be highly desirable for such energy to be used more actively and visibly at the European level as well.
