The Distance Learning Protection Act (FernUSG) is to be abolished. A draft bill from the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth provides for the complete repeal of the Act. This would remove a key bureaucratic hurdle for providers of online courses and digital educational programmes.

According to the draft, the requirement for accreditation by the State Central Office for Distance Learning (ZFU) is to come into force as early as 1 July 2027 be discontinued. The remote ultrasound scan itself is to be replaced, following a transitional period, by the 30 June 2028 cease to apply definitively.

The reasons for this include, amongst other things, years of legal uncertainty caused by conflicting court rulings, as well as the effort and costs involved in obtaining ZFU authorisation. According to the draft bill, the removal of these regulations could save companies around 4.8 million euros will be relieved. Further savings in administrative costs are expected for the federal states.

For providers of digital education services, the abolition would mark a significant turning point. Digistore24, which has been campaigning for years for a review of the FernUSG, welcomes the move. Among other things, the company had published a position paper and initiated a petition with 4,321 signatures from providers of digital learning resources.

However, the abolition has not yet been decided. The draft bill must first go through the further legislative process. Until then, the current provisions of the FernUSG, including the ZFU authorisation requirement, remain in force.