Minimum volume thresholds for specific medical treatments have been implemented in Germany since 2004. In the last 9 years the catalogue of procedures, which is determined by the Federal Joint Committee, has changed continuously and currently consists of 8 procedures. In this article the basis of decision making for the enrolment in the catalogue of procedures and the determination of minimum volume thresholds are examined. An overview of systematic reviews was published in 2012 outlining the correlation between the volume components and medical outcome. The body of evidence identified is compared to the current regulatory conditions of the Federal Joint Committee.