March 23, 2022
Environmental organizations present proposals to speed up planning: Improved planning and participation needed instead of symbolic policy to the detriment of the environment
Berlin, 23.03.2022. The environmental organizations BBN, BDLA, BUND, NABU, DUH, UfU, UVP-Gesellschaft and the environmental umbrella organization DNR have presented concrete recommendations for action for an effective acceleration of infrastructure projects in the current legislative period. On the occasion of a parliamentary discussion with members of the German Bundestag, they emphasize that there is an urgent need for acceleration in the area of climate and environmental protection measures in order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality. “It is therefore necessary to strictly prioritize projects according to their climate and environmental benefits instead of planning hundreds of often climate-damaging projects, e.g. in transport infrastructure,” the associations said in their assessment. Potential for acceleration could be leveraged above all by avoiding potential conflicts between climate and species protection as far as possible – including through overarching solutions – or by identifying them at an early stage and finding a solution with the involvement of the public. It is also important that the current legal framework is better utilized and that the numerous acceleration laws are used and evaluated with regard to their benefits for planning quality and acceleration before new and extensive legislative changes are adopted. “The measures adopted in the last legislative period, such as the use of project managers, the use of application conferences, the establishment of early public participation and planning simplifications for smaller projects, should be applied consistently,” the associations continued. The focus of future acceleration measures should therefore be on improving implementation and strengthening sub-legislative measures. The associations are convinced that the federal government’s coalition agreement contains a number of measures that are highly controversial in terms of European law and the rule of law and have little potential for acceleration, as they provoke lengthy legal disputes about their admissibility. This applies in particular to the reintroduction of substantive preclusion, the introduction of a duty to cooperate for environmental and nature conservation associations, the abolition of suspensive effect in legal protection proceedings or the introduction of fictitious approvals, which would lead to considerable legal uncertainty. “Accelerating planning is not an end in itself. It must effectively advance social transformation and promote its acceptance, protect the climate and ensure the protection of biodiversity,” is the appeal of the associations to politicians. The associations’ recommendations for action are available at www.dnr.de.
Technical inquiries
BDLA, Mario Kahl, Tel. 030 278715-12, mario.kahl@bdla.de; BUND, Dr. Werner Reh, Tel. 0176-45719292, rehwerner2@gmail.com; BBN, Prof. Klaus Werk, klaus.werk@werk-home.de; DUH, Dr. Cornelia Nicklas, Tel. 030-2400867-0, nicklas@duh.de; DNR, Florian Schöne, Tel. 030-6781775-99, florian.schoene@dnr.de; UfU, Dr. Michael Zschiesche, Tel. 030-428499332, michael.zschiesche@ufu.de; UVP-Gesellschaft, Dr. Joachim Hartlik, Tel. 05175-9291003; hartlik@uvp.de; NABU, Kari Fintzen, Tel. 01522.1722241, kari.fintzen@nabu.de.