1Dr Daniel Volk, FDPFDP spokesman on committeeLawyer,b. 25 Jan. 1970 in Bremen;unmarried.Bundestag Member since 2008

2Dr Volker Wissing, FDPFormer judge,b. 22 April 1970 in Landau in der Pfalz; married, one child.Bundestag Member since 2004

3Björn Sänger, FDPEconomist,b. 10 April 1975 in Kassel; unmarried.Bundestag Member since 2009

4Frank Schäffler, FDPBusiness administrator,b. 22 Dec. 1968 in Schwäbisch Gmünd;married, two children.Bundestag Member since 2005

5Holger Krestel, FDPDegree in politics,b. 11 Nov. 1955 in Berlin; married.Bundestag Member since 2010

6Bettina Kudla, CDU/CSUBusiness adminis-trator, accountant, tax advisor,former mayor,b. 20 July 1962in Munich;Bundestag Member since 2009

7Manfred Kolbe, CDU/CSUNotary, former minister of state,b. 17 Aug. 1953 in Naunhof;three children.Bundestag Member 1990–2000 and since 2002

8Patricia Lips, CDU/CSUDiploma in whole-sale and retail management, b. 21 Dec. 1963 in Milan (Italy);unmarried.Bundestag Member since 2002

9Dr Frank Steffel, CDU/CSU Business adminis-trator, entrepreneur,b. 2 March 1966 in Berlin;married, one child.Bundestag Member since 2009

10Olav Gutting, CDU/CSULawyer,b. 14 Oct. 1970 in Karlsruhe; married.Bundestag Member since 2002

11Eduard Oswald, CDU/CSUBusiness adminis-trator, former Federal Minister,b. 6 Sept. 1947in Augsburg;married,two children.Bundestag Member since 1987

12Christian Freiherr von Stetten, CDU/CSUBusiness adminis-trator, self-employed entrepreneur,b. 24 July 1970 in Stuttgart.Bundestag Member since 2002

13Antje Tillmann, CDU/CSUDeputy ChairwomanTax advisor,b. 28 Aug. 1964 in Düsseldorf; divorced, one child.Bundestag Member since 2002

14Norbert Schindler, CDU/CSUFarmer, winemaker,b. 15 Oct. 1949 in Grünstadt; married, two children.Bundestag Member since 1994

15Dr Mathias Middelberg, CDU/CSULawyer,b. 14 Dec. 1964 in Osnabrück.Bundestag Member since 2009

16Peter Aumer, CDU/CSUBusiness adminis-trator,b. 17 April 1976 in Regensburg;unmarried.Bundestag Member since 2009

17Ralph Brinkhaus, CDU/CSUEconomist,b. 15 June 1968 in Wiedenbrück;unmarried.Bundestag Member since 2009

18Dr h. c. Hans Michelbach, CDU/CSUCDU/CSU spokes-man on committeeSelf-employed entrepreneur, former mayor,b. 3 May 1949 in Gemünden am Main; married, three children.Bundestag Member since 1994

19Klaus-Peter Flosbach, CDU/CSUBusiness adminis-trator, management consultant,b. 8 Jan. 1952 in Wipperfürth; married, three children.Bundestag Member since 2002

20Hartmut Koschyk Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance

21Dr Birgit Reinemund, FDPChairwomanManager,b. 6 June 1959in Mannheim; married.Bundestag Member since 2009

22René Probst Head of the Committee Secretariat

23Jochen Boekhoff Committee Secretariat

24Dr Claus-Martin GaulCommittee Secretariat

25Bernd Walter Committee Secretariat

26Nicolette Kressl, SPDVocational school teacher, former Parliamentary State Secretary,b. 29 Oct. 1958 in Heilbronn.Bundestag Member since 1994

27Lothar Binding,SPDSPD spokesman on committeeElectrical power engineer, mathe-matician,b. 1 April 1950 in Sandershausen; married, two children.Bundestag Member since 1998

28Ingrid Arndt-Brauer, SPDSPD spokeswoman on committeeBusiness adminis-trator, sociologist,b. 20 March 1961 in Marburg; married, four children.Bundestag Member since 1999

29Bernd Scheelen, SPD,Pharmaceuticals industry manager,b. 7 Jan. 1948 in Hamburg; married, three children.Bundestag Member since 1994

30Manfred Zöllmer, SPDDeputy headteacher,b. 29 Aug. 1950 in Bülkau.Bundestag Member since 2002

31Dr Carsten Sieling, SPDEconomist, b. 13 Jan. 1959 in Nienburg;married, three children.Bundestag Member since 2009

32Petra Hinz, SPDLawyer,b. 10 June 1962 in Essen.Bundestag Member since 2005

33Martin Gerster, SPDParliamentary advisor in Land Parliament,b. 30 Aug. 1971 in Biberach an der Riß; married.Bundestag Member since 2005

34Sabine Bätzing- Lichtenthäler, SPDPublic administrator,b. 13 Feb. 1975 in Altenkirchen; married.Bundestag Member since 2002

35Britta Haßelmann, Alliance 90/ The GreensSocial worker,b. 10 Dec. 1961 in Straelen.Bundestag Member since 2005

36Dr Gerhard Schick, Alliance 90/ The GreensEconomist,b. 18 April 1972 in Hechingen; civil partnership.Bundestag Member since 2005

37Dr Thomas Gambke, Alliance 90/ The GreensPhysicist, self- employed entre- preneur,b. 16 Oct. 1949 in Rimsting;married, three children.Bundestag Member since 2009

38Lisa Paus, Alliance 90/ The GreensAlliance 90/ The Greens spokeswoman on committeeEconomist,b. 19 Sept. 1968 in Rheine; unmarried, one child.Bundestag Member since 2009

39Harald Koch, The Left PartyEconomist,b. 11 Sept. 1954 in Sangerhausen; married, three children.Bundestag Member since 2009

40Richard Pitterle, The Left PartyLawyer,b. 2 March 1959 in Most (Czech Republic).Bundestag Member since 2009

41Dr Barbara Höll, The Left PartyThe Left Party spokeswoman on committeeDegree in philo sophy,b. 26 Dec. 1957 in Coswig;divorced, three children.Bundestag Member 1990-2002 and since 2005

42Dr Axel Troost, The Left PartyEconomist, manager,b. 1 Sept. 1954 in Hagen;married, two children.Bundestag Member since 2005

The Finance Committee

The German Bundestag takes decisions on what are at times highly complex and controversial bills and parlia-mentary initiatives relating to the entire spectrum of poli-cy fields. The committees play a central role in parliamen-tary deliberations. They are the forum where the Members thrash out compromises and draw on expert advice before submitting their reports and recommendations for deci-sions to be voted on by the Bundestag as a whole.

www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/bundestag/committees

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“The Finance Committee’s work takes in all areas of policy. The Committee acts as the link between policy fields and is an instrument for shaping and supporting our society. Skilful finan-cial policy-making leads to economic growth, supports the family, boosts research and creates greater scope for education and culture. The members of the Finance Committee thus play an important part in making our society fairer, more sustainable and better equipped to meet the chal-lenges of the future.”

Information online

Finance Committeewww.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/bundestag/committees/a07/index.html

Federal Ministry of Financewww.bundesfinanzministerium.de

Federal Fiscal Courtwww.bundesfinanzhof.de

Federal Court of Auditwww.bundesrechnungshof.de

Federal Financial Supervisory Authoritywww.bafin.de

Federal Central Tax Officewww.bzst.bund.de

Contact details for the Committee SecretariatDeutscher Bundestag FinanzausschussPlatz der Republik 111011 BerlinTelefon: + 49 30 227-32468Fax: + 49 30 227-36844 Email: finanzausschuss@bundestag.de

Dr. Birgit Reinemund, FDPChairwoman of theFinance Committee

The Finance Committee Banker’s bonuses, unisex insurance tariffs and the Isle of Man – the Committee’s work in practice

Whenever money matters are at stake, the Finance Committee has an important role to play. With 37 members, it is one of the ‘heavyweights’ among the Bundestag’s committees. Chaired by Birgit Reinemund (FDP), it is the lead committee for all items connected with tax policy, the money and capital markets, and other financial policy issues. With the excep-tion of budgetary policy, the Finance Committee therefore oversees developments within the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Finance. Bills, motions, reports, resolu-tions and numerous items from the European Union pile up in the Committee members’ in-trays. Their work may sound

dry, but all human life is there. Again and again, they discuss tax cuts that will reduce the burden on citizens and busi-nesses, and the tax revenues that enable the state to meet its obligations. The simplification of the tax system is another re-curring item on the committee’s agenda. At the moment, howev-er, it is the challenges thrown up by the global financial crisis that need to be tackled above all else. For the years of crisis have demonstrated the great extent to which prosperity and jobs are dependent on the financial and capital markets. It is necessary to find ways of identifying fu-ture signs of instability at an early stage and preventing or at least containing crises on the financial markets – both in Ger-many and beyond its borders. The suggestions that are made frequently inspire new laws, which are ultimately scruti-nised by the Finance Commit-tee.

The Committee’s deliberations are usually preceded by long public debates. However, the serious business really starts when a piece of draft legislation is issued as a printed paper and delivered to the Finance Com-mittee. Bills hardly ever leave the Committee unamended. Ex-perts in financial policy from all the parliamentary groups weigh up the pros and cons of each in-itiative in their party working groups and then in the full Committee. Subsequently, the Committee informs the plenary about the results of its delibera-tions in the form of a report and recommendation for a decision on the bill. The final vote on the matter is held in the plenary.

Times of crisis have expanded the workload borne by the Finance Committee, which al-ready had its hands full in any case. For there are many items on which it is asked for its opinion as well. When the spe-cialised committees that deal with environmental, transport or agricultural policy are dis-cussing biofuels, aviation fuel or agricultural diesel, for in-stance, the Bundestag’s finan-cial policy experts are also called upon to consider the tax aspects of the items in question. The Finance Committee deliv-ers its recommendations to the lead committee for each item. The tax revenue forecasts is-sued by the German Federal Government feature regularly on the Finance Committee’s schedule as well. Twice a year, the Federal Ministry of Fi-nance’s Working Party on Tax Estimates publishes important

data about projected future tax revenues. This is just one aspect of the parliamentary oversight of financial policy. Another is illustrated by the briefings the Committee receives from the Federal Ministry of Finance about the meetings of the ECOFIN Council, where the EU Member States’ economics and finance ministers take far-reaching decisions on behalf of all Europe’s countries. The Committee’s members study documentation intensive-ly before deliberating on an item. Above all, however, the members of the Committee are given opportunities to make up their own minds at consulta-tions and public hearings with experts. The experts invited by the Committee are proposed by the parliamentary groups, and

tend to be academics, represent-atives of interest groups and trade unionists. They comment on the subjects of the hearings and help to ensure the conse-quences a piece of legislation will have for all groups in socie-ty are made quite explicit. The Finance Committee conducted 46 public hearings in the last electoral term alone and has continued to hold hearings on draft legislation in the 17th electoral term. Immediately fol-lowing its constitution in 2009, the Committee decided to ar-range a public hearing on the Act to Accelerate Economic Growth – one of the German Federal Government’s first responses to the impact of the economic and financial crisis.

Unisex tariffs for private sick-ness insurance certainly have little in common with a draft bill intended to regulate the ex-change of information in civil and criminal tax matters with the Isle of Man. Yet both items have appeared on the agenda for the Finance Committee. These examples show the diver-sity of topics the Committee has to deliberate on. One week, it may find itself looking at the in-formation financial service pro-viders are required to disclose to their customers, the next con-sidering the consequences of corporate tax reform or the per-formance of the Federal Cus-toms Administration’s financial control section.Tax questions take up most of the committee’s meetings. Men-tion should be made of the eco-nomic stimulus packages with

which the German government has tried to safeguard growth and employment at a time of global financial and economic crisis, as well as introducing tax cuts for businesses. Another is-sue that has been addressed is the reform of inheritance tax, with higher personal allowanc-es and provisions that allow family businesses to be passed on to the next generation largely free of tax. After long delibera-tions, this legislation was even-tually adopted in the form agreed by the Committee. By contrast, the Taxpayer Relief Act was designed to markedly increase the extent to which contributions to sickness and long-term care insurance were

tax-deductible. At the same time, when it looked at this item, the Committee was seek-ing ways to satisfy the require-ments imposed by the Federal Constitutional Court in this field. The Committee has also devoted a great deal of attention to the deferred taxation of re-tirement income, under which pension contributions are tax-free, while the retirement in-come drawn later by pension-holders is classed as taxable. Taxation is one topic that has played a major role in past pub-lic hearings. The battle against tax evasion, increases in child benefit and the tax allowance for children, the Annual Tax Act, the transposition of EU tax legislation and the introduction of an international financial transaction tax have all been prominent in this context. The Finance Committee has also held a public hearing on the prevention of improper se-

curities and derivatives trans-actions. Furthermore, experts have been heard on the remu-neration systems used by banks and insurance companies (‘bankers’ bonuses’), the capital standards for banks and EU leg-islation on the supervision of rating agencies, companies that, among their other activities, assess the creditworthiness of businesses, financial service providers and states. Most pub-lic hearings relate to legislative initiatives, and numerous mo-tions supplementing or modify-ing such initiatives are tabled by the parliamentary groups. Sooner or later, all these items arrive on the Committee mem-bers’ desks as printed papers. For they can be reduced to a single, common denominator: money. And when money is at stake, there is work for the Finance Committee.

Published by: German Bundestag, Public Relations Division, BerlinWritten and edited by: Georgia Rauer, BerlinTranslated by: Language Service of the German Bundestag in cooperation with Martin PearceDesign and production coordination: Regelindis Westphal Grafik-Design / Berno Buff, BerlinBundestag eagle: Created by Professor Ludwig Gies, revised in 2008 by büro uebelePhotos: phototek.net (portrait photo); Deutscher Bundestag / studio kohlmeier (panorama photo); DBT / Linus Lintner (outdoor shot)Graphic: Marc Mendelson, edited by Regelindis Westphal Grafik-DesignPrinted by: ABT Print und Medien GmbH, Weinheim

As at: November 2011© Deutscher Bundestag, Berlin; all rights reserved.

This publication is produced by the German Bundestag in the framework of parliamentary public relations work. It is not intended for resale. It may not be used by parties, parliamentary groups, Members of the Bundestag or candidates in their public relations activities – particularly for campaign purposes.

The Bundestag committees Finance Committee

Number of members: 37

Chairwoman:Dr Birgit Reinemund, FDP

Deputy Chairwoman:Antje Tillmann, CDU/CSU

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14 Christian Democratic Union/ Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) 9 Social Democratic Party (SPD) 6 Free Democratic Party (FDP) 4 The Left Party 4 Alliance 90/The Greens

The German Bundestag’s deci-sions are prepared by its com-mittees, which are established at the start of each electoral term. Four of them are stipulat-ed by the Basic Law, the Ger-man constitution: the Commit-tee on Foreign Affairs, the De-fence Committee, the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union and the Petitions Com-mittee. The Budget Committee and the Committee for the Rules of Procedure are also required. The spheres of responsibility of the committees essentially re-flect the Federal Government’s distribution of ministerial port-folios. This enables Parliament to scrutinise the government’s work effectively. The German Bundestag sets priorities of its own by establishing additional committees for specific subjects, such as sport, cultural affairs or tourism. In addition, special bodies such as parliamentary advisory councils, committees of inquiry or study commis-sions can also be established.

The committees are composed of members of all the parlia-mentary groups, reflecting the balance of these groups in the German Bundestag. The distri-bution of the chairs and deputy chairs among the parliamentary groups also reflects their rela-tive strengths in the plenary. In the current electoral term, the committees have between 9 and 41 members.The committees discuss and deliberate on items referred to them by the plenary. They also have the right to take up issues on their own initiative, allow-ing them to set priorities in the parliamentary debate. When necessary, they draw on exter-nal expertise – usually by hold-ing public hearings. At the end of a committee’s deliberations, a recommendation for a decision is adopted by a majority of its members, and this serves as the basis for the plenary’s decision.