The conscription has been suspended since 2011 and the alternative service is not relevant.

The conscription has been suspended since 2011. 

The conscription has been suspended and there is no alternative service.

In the period of its existence, the right to ACS was permissive. Candidates for alternative service did not collect papers or references, but wrote essays explaining why they can not serve in the army, the final decision was made by the Agency for Civil Service Affairs. However, in last years, the right to ACS has actually become a declarative nature.

The conscription has been suspended since 2011 and the relevance of the alternative service disappeared.

The alternative service was, perhaps, even more prestigious than the military one and its importance for maintaining a high level of social services was recognized by the state.

In January 2011 it was announced that conscription no longer meets the requirements of the time and in its present form is not suitable for the Bundeswehr. However, the government did not completely abolish the military service.

Article 12a is preserved in the Constitution, which provides the possibility of recruiting male citizens aged 18 or over to serve in the army, border guards or civil defense units. This is due to the hypothetical prospect of changing the international situation, the emergence of a security threat and the sovereignty of the country, for which it will be necessary to revive the conscription.

No conscription and alternative service.

The conscription is suspended. Before suspention term was 9 months.

The conscription has been suspended and there is no issue of consciousness objection.

However, it should be noted that in the context of the existence of the military conscription, in 1969 was adopted the Supplement to the law, which states that if recognized consciousness objectors by the nature of their convictions can not even pass alternative civil service, they are released from the civil service and work on a base of free labor agreement.

Despite the fact that now the relevance of this concept has gone, the alternative service in Germany (since 1960 in FRG) is recognized as a form of performing military duty by recognized «conscientious objectors» from military service on convictions, both secular and religious. It was a compulsory service for the benefit of society and took place primarily in the social sphere.

The conscription has been suspended since 2011.

At the same time, Article 12a of the Constitution of the FRG says that all male citizens can be drafted into the army, border guard service or civil defense structures at the age of 18, therefore, theoretically, the conscription can be restored at any time. The decision to suspend the conscription was for a long time postponed due to the fact that the interruption of established «recruiting» mechanism. And recruiting is not for military, but for alternative service. In Germany, it was the conscripts who provided high quality social services in hospitals, seniors complexes, rescue services, environmental organizations.

ACS is a respected institution in Germany, which won hearts and had a great importance in the life of the country. The alternative service was almost more prestigious than military, and its importance for maintaining a high level of social services was repeatedly emphasized by the state. And the Germans chose this type of service as something familiar and convenient. The alternative service should have been developing for the civilist (that’s how alternative servicemen were called here). Among the goals set for the programs of the alternative civil service in Germany were labor experience, social specialization, certain kind of moral education and socialization.

Alternative servicemen carried disabled people to doctors and to other places of need. They brought warm lunches to those who can’t leave the house. They made purchases for the disabled and elderly in shops, worked in clubs and workshops for the disabled. They passed alternative service in environmental organizations, church communities and rescue services, worked as hospital attendants in hospitals and nursing homes, drivers in the ambulance. German laws also allowed civilists to work abroad, including Russia. The transfer of servicemen abroad was carried out by the same organizations that worked with volunteers.

The conscription is suspended, accordingly there is no ACS.

Before the suspension, the authority of the alternative service sphere was vested in special legal commissions not directly related to the organization of conscription. In Germany, members of such commissions (they were eight) had an age limit of 32 years and were nominated by responsible state or public organizations. The chairpersons of the commissions were appointed by the Minister of Defense from among experienced lawyers or administrative staff.

Candidates for alternative service did not collect certificates, but wrote essays explaining why they can not serve in the army, the final decision was made not by the commission, but by the Agency on Alternative Service Affairs. It, in its turn, cooperated with a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations dealing mainly with social problems both within the country and abroad.
 

In Germany it is recognized that professional servicemen have the right during their service to refuse it because of their convictions.  

The conscription has been suspended since 2011.