As the Bundestag reports in a communication, on Thursday, April 23, 2026, various applications and draft laws were referred to the responsible committees for further deliberation in a simplified procedure. The proposals come from different parliamentary groups and deal with topics such as plant protection, sports promotion, and foreign policy.
The parliamentary group Alliance 90/The Greens has introduced the draft of a "Fourth Act to Amend the Plant Protection Act." This draft law is now to be further deliberated in the lead Agriculture Committee. According to the Bundestag, this is an initiative to adapt existing plant protection law.
Two applications from the AfD parliamentary group were also referred. One is titled "Integrate the German Sports Badge as a Special Award in School Reports" and is to be further deliberated in the Committee for Sports and Honorary Activities. Another AfD application titled "Secure Modern Pentathlon at the Olympic Training Center Potsdam in the Long Term and Ensure Federal Financial Support Through the 2028 Olympic Games" was also referred to the lead Committee for Sports and Honorary Activities. Both proposals aim to promote sports in different areas.
The parliamentary group The Left has introduced an application titled "Cuba – Defend International Law, Enable Humanitarian Aid." This application is to be further deliberated in the Foreign Affairs Committee. According to the Bundestag, the proposal deals with foreign policy aspects in connection with Cuba.
All referrals were made without prior debate in the plenary. The further deliberations in the respective committees are now the next step in the parliamentary process. The committees will address the contents of the proposals in their meetings and, if necessary, develop amendments or recommendations before the topics may return to the plenary.
The simplified procedure allows the Bundestag to refer proposals directly to the specialized committees if no controversial debate in the plenary appears necessary. This accelerates the parliamentary process for less contentious or technical topics. The mentioned committees – the Agriculture Committee, the Committee for Sports and Honorary Activities, and the Foreign Affairs Committee – are responsible as lead bodies for the substantive review and further development of the respective proposals.
The referrals show the range of current parliamentary initiatives, which extend from domestic regulations to foreign policy positions. The further treatment in the committees will decide whether and in what form the proposals can later be adopted by the Bundestag. Until then, the mentioned topics remain the subject of parliamentary deliberations in the responsible bodies.
