The Local Germany

Germany cracks down on Amazon and Ebay sales tax cheats

Tue, 31 Jul 2018 11:53:09 +0200

Angela Merkel’s government is hoping to stem the loss of millions of euros worth of VAT revenue with new, tighter regulations on online platforms such as eBay and Amazon Marketplace.

Germany slips in world business rankings

Wed, 29 Oct 2014 10:44:00 +0100

Germany may be Europe's biggest economy but it is only the continent's eighth best place to do business. It's easier to start a firm in Iran or Tajikistan than Germany, according to the World Bank.

Opposition sinks plans to split Deutsche Bahn

Fri, 21 Jun 2013 16:34:00 +0200

An attempt to split up rail giant Deutsche Bahn will be sunk by German opposition politicians next week, the Handelsblatt said on Friday. European pressure to separate control of the rail network from the provision of services is mounting.

Social Democrats declare 'war on the banks'

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:05:00 +0200

Germany’s centre-left Social Democrats kicked off their election campaign with what was described as a declaration of war on the banks, sparking fears in the sector that it could force the conservatives to follow suit.

Former mines to be inspected after landslide kills three

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:00:00 +0200

Four days after a landslide pulled homes into a lake killing three people in Nachterstedt, the state of Saxony-Anhalt’s premier announced on Wednesday that all lakes made from former open-pit mines will be inspected.

Early end to season for German herring fishermen

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:46:00 +0200

Many of northeastern Germany’s coastal herring fishermen will be forced to return to port early this year. An EU reduction in the catch quota means many crews have already reached their limit, fishery groups said on Wednesday.

Smiling while you eat

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:48:00 +0100

Worried about a fly in your soup? Elvira Drobinski-Weiß, consumer affairs spokeswoman for the centre-left Social Democratic Party, argues a new smiley-face system indicating good hygiene at German restaurants benefits both consumers and the food industry.

Plastic surgeons get 'Breast TÜV' for quality control

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:56:00 +0100

German plastic surgeons can now apply for a seal of approval on their finished operations in a push to improve the quality of the industry, according to Munich daily tz on Monday.

Vattenfall loses reduced charges case

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:59:00 +0200

Energy giant Vattenfall has been ordered to pay €50 million to its competitors and reduce its network charges, after losing a court battle with German regulators on Thursday.