Structure and tasks of the Ministry of Economics and Technology

The building of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Techology in Berlin

© BMWi

The central priority of economic policy - and therefore of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology - is to lay the foundations for economic prosperity in Germany and to ensure that this prosperity is spread broadly throughout the population. This overarching priority gives rise to specific objectives that serve as guideposts for the formulation of economic policy.

These objectives include:

• developing opportunities to ensure sustained economic growth and competitiveness with other economies
• ensuring a high level of employment
• strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• promoting new technologies and innovation to maintain economic competitiveness
• linking economic and ecological goals
• expanding the worldwide division of labour and a free system of world trade
• ensuring a secure energy supply at appropriate prices

Given these priorities and objectives, the essential task of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology is to shape the conditions that foster successful economic activity on the basis of personal and entrepreneurial freedom, competition and stability. The Ministry's legislative, administrative and coordinating functions in areas such as competition policy, regional policy, SME policy, energy policy, and external economic policy are geared to this task.

Germany's overall economic policy is grounded in the principles of the social market economy, and this approach has proven to be effective, particularly during difficult phases of economic cycles. It is especially important for a forward-looking economic policy to ensure sustained conditions for greater employment in Germany.

Structure

The Ministry's organisation reflects the broad spectrum of its activities. These are divided among ten Directorates-General (DG):

• Political Co-ordination (DG L)
• Central Administration (DG Z)
• European Policy (DG E)
• Economic Policy (DG I)
• SME Policy (DG II)
• Energy Policy (DG III)
• Industrial Policy (DG IV)
• External Economic Policy (DG V)
• IT, Communications and Postal Policy (DG VI)
• Technology Policy (DG VII)

Responsibilities

Philipp Rösler is the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology. The State Secretaries and the Parliamentary State Secretaries support him in fulfilling his responsibilities.

State Secretaries: Dr. Bernhard Heitzer, Stefan Kapferer, Anne Ruth Herkes.

Parliamentary State Secretaries: Ernst Burgbacher, Peter Hintze and Hans-Joachim Otto.

State Secretary Dr. Bernhard Heitzer is responsible for Directorates-General I (Economic Policy), II (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Policy) and IV (Industrial Policy).

State Secretary Stefan Kapferer is responsible for Directorates-General Z (Central Administration), L (Political Co-ordination), E (European Policy) and III (Energy Policy).

State Secretary Anne Ruth Herkes is responsible for Directorates-General V (External Economic Policy), VI (IT, Communications and Postal Policy) and VII (Technology Policy).