German upper house passes landmark military service law

German's new military service law will go into force on January 1, after it was approved by the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, on Friday.

The bill provides for young men to undergo medical examinations and be registered on a list for military service, while active service remains voluntary.

According to the legislation, parliament can decide on introducing compulsory conscription if targets for expanding the armed forces are missed through voluntary measures alone.

The aim of the law is to increase the number of soldiers in the German Armed Forces or Bundeswehr from the current 184,000 to between 255,000 and 270,000 by 2035.

From next year onwards, all young men and women born in 2008 or later will receive a personal questionnaire that asks about their motivation to undertake military service.

Men must answer this questionnaire, women can, as the German constitution does not provide for compulsory military service for women.

For all men born on or after January 1, 2008, a medical examination will be compulsory. In practice, however, it will not take place until later.