Workers facing radiation risks to receive safeguards through a new European directive proposal by the Commission.

In the government presidency of Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, under the leadership of Regierungspräsident Carsten Gabbert (Greens), significant strides have been made in various areas.

One of the most notable achievements is the communal heat planning, which has seen 20 cities commit since 2020 and 180 municipalities voluntarily decide to create a heat plan. This initiative addresses forest management in times of climate change and the preservation of water supply on the Black Forest heights. The department has networked municipalities, sharing information on solutions in other municipalities and funding opportunities.

Carsten Gabbert, who assumed office on April 1, 2024, also announced that Baden-Württemberg will assume the presidency of the International Lake Constance Conference (IBK) in 2025. The IBK will discuss topics such as expanding cross-border public transport, developing the Lake Constance cycle path, and coordinated measures against invasive species like the quagga mussel.

In the area of digitalization, Gabbert admits that there is room for improvement. The "Bodensee Summit digital" focused on digitalization in businesses and administration in 2024 as part of the cooperative forum of the ten countries and cantons. Gabbert criticizes the demonization of bureaucracy and finds the discussion about bureaucracy and administration imprecise.

The government presidency sees itself as a transformative role between the state and municipalities, sometimes also as a moderator, and has a good cooperation with the economy. However, there may be individual decisions that people are unhappy with.

On the topic of cannabis licensing, Gabbert ranks the performance of procedures in Baden-Württemberg in the "good midfield" nationally. Since July 2022, 92 applications for cannabis club licenses have been received and centrally processed by Freiburg, with 13 permits granted, one to two currently in the final approval phase. Two rejections and four applications have been withdrawn in the licensing process.

Gabbert gives an example of the beaver's return, where there is a consensus, but problems locally can lead to calls to circumvent species protection. He suggests that bureaucracy is sometimes necessary and the effort and duration can be well explained.

A pilot project on the Belchen with farmers, municipalities, and the district for water management is planned to be transferred to other regions with mountain pastures. The department for energy transition, wind energy, and climate protection assesses the heat plans submitted according to the state's climate protection law.

Cross-border cooperation is becoming increasingly important due to changes in transatlantic relations and Europe. Gabbert states that there is usually a consensus on what needs to be changed, but the details can be difficult to agree upon. He admits that there is room for improvement in the area of digitalization.

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Workers facing radiation risks to receive safeguards through a new European directive proposal by the Commission.