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Floating LNG terminal in Lubmin: hardly suitable as a role model
Photo: Paul Langrock / laif
It is legally difficult to suspend the environmental impact assessment for infrastructure projects in order to shorten the duration of the procedures.
This is the result of a report by the scientific service of the Bundestag on behalf of the Greens.
“It's obvious that simply completing exam steps can speed up the approval process.
In environmental law, however, the national legislature encounters Union law limits," says the statement.
Before authorities allow major construction and infrastructure projects, they must assess the impact on the environment.
An exception was made in the law for the LNG terminals, which were needed to continue supplying Germany with gas.
Although they affect coastal ecosystems, no environmental impact assessment was required.
Two floating terminals are already up and running less than a year after the decision was made to lease and deploy them.
Since then, politicians have been discussing whether this exception could also apply to other infrastructure projects.
There is talk of "LNG speed" as the goal.
The traffic light parties are currently negotiating several ways to plan and implement infrastructure projects more quickly.
These include, for example, the reform of administrative court procedures.
Another idea is to suspend the environmental impact assessment for other projects.
The FDP presidium and the SPD parliamentary group recently proposed an exemption from the environmental impact assessment for replacement construction of motorway bridges, even if this would involve an increase in capacity.
In the case of the SPD, this would mean up to two new lanes on motorway bridges.
EU directive sets clear limits for exceptions
A conflict within the traffic light coalition can be observed in the entire discussion about planning acceleration: The Greens are pushing to concentrate on renewable energies and power grids.
The acceleration of these projects is not disputed within the coalition.
However, the SPD and FDP also want to simplify and prioritize infrastructure projects that are not directly related to the energy transition.
In a draft law, Volker Wissing's FDP-led Ministry of Transport also attributed "overriding public interest" to motorways and federal highways.
The report now points out that the EU directive on environmental impact assessment does in fact allow exceptions, but within limits.
There is only a certain amount of leeway if the failure of a project “endangers political, administrative and economic stability and security”.
An individual case assessment is also necessary, which “would not, for example, allow an exception for an entire project category.”
The Green member of the Bundestag Lukas Benner says: "The report clearly shows that the LNG law is not suitable as a general blueprint for all infrastructure projects." «.
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