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Pipe section of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline (archive image)
Photo: Maxim Shemetov / REUTERS
Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) failed in court with a lawsuit against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
According to the court's opinion, this is only partially admissible and - as far as admissible - unfounded, said the presiding judge of the Higher Administrative Court in Greifswald, Klaus Sperlich.
The lawsuit was directed against the Stralsund Mining Authority, which, as the competent authority, had approved the construction and operation of the pipeline at the beginning of 2018.
The DUH wanted to ensure that possible emissions of the greenhouse gas methane are checked and referred above all to possible leaks in the previous gas transport and production in Russia.
According to the court, the pipeline has already been checked for leaks in German territory.
The court saw a need for legal protection on the part of the DUH for the Russian infrastructure.
However, it is not part of the planning approval procedure of the Stralsund Mining Authority.
A revision is not permitted.
DUH Federal Managing Director Sascha Müller-Kraenner announced that he wanted to examine a complaint against the non-admission to the Federal Administrative Court.
It is unclear what a waiver would really do for the climate
DUH lawyer Cornelia Ziehm demanded in the negotiation, referring to climate protection, not to ignore the possible effects of the pipeline project.
It is not just a question of an "approved piece of pipe", but of the additional gas that it produces and its impact on the climate.
Nord Stream 2 lawyer Martin Ohms, however, said that the achievement of general climate protection goals could not be concentrated on a single project without corresponding legal requirements.
It is also unclear whether not putting the pipeline into operation could actually save emissions.
Nord Stream 2 is to pump gas from Russia to Germany bypassing the Ukraine, i.e. above all to replace existing pipeline capacities.
In addition, the Ukrainian pipeline system is in poor condition.
Nord Stream 2 has been completed but is not yet operational.
Certification by the Federal Network Agency is still pending.
Without this, gas transport is not permitted.
The authority has suspended the procedure for the time being.
First of all, the operating company must be organized according to German law.
The DUH welcomed the decision.
beb / dpa
