FRFG’s Policy Award for Intergenerationally Just Laws
Description of the Prize
At the end of every legislative period in Germany, the FRFG will award an unremunerated prize for a law or legislative initiative which either removes a present injustice that affects future generations or protects future generations from future injustices. The law should be mainly based on the principle of intergenerational justice. The acting recipients of the legislative prize could be politicians who are either members of a government (national governments, EU-Commission), members of a parliament (Members of the European Parliament or UK MPs), or incumbents of a political office (secretary general, board member, leader of youth organization etc.).
The prize was awarded for the first time in 2013 and since then every four years after the federal election. With this award, the FRFG emphasises the importance of intergenerationally just laws and further encourages the newly elected members of the Bundestag to continue this positive development. Since 2017, the FRFG has awarded an additional negative prize for the most intergenerationally unjust law.
Evaluation and selection process
Due to its daily work, the FRFG has a good overview of laws and legislative initiatives being intergenerational just. In order to determine if a law has a positive influence on intergenerational justice, a catalogue of criteria was elaborated (impact of the law, contribution to intergenerational justice, intergenerational justice as justification, level of innovation, participation of young people, temporal continuance, etc.). The selection process is done in cooperation with a jury. In 2014 and 2018, the jury consisted of experts in both the theory and the practice, as well as members of the Scientific Advisory Board of the FRFG and FRFG board members.
The FRFG Policy Award winners so far
2017-2021
For the 20th legislative period of the Bundestag
Most intergenerationally just:
Judgement of the German Constitutional Court on the Climate Protection Act (2021)
Most intergenerationally unjust:
Law on stabilising the state pension (2018)
2013-2017
For the 19th legislative period of the Bundestag
Most intergenerationally just:
Elterngeld Plus (2016)
Most intergenerationally unjust:
Deduction-free old-age pension at age 63 (2014)
2009-2013
For the 18th legislative period of the Bundestag
Most intergenerationally just:
Nuclear phase-out (Atomausstiegsgesetz 2011)