Controversial gas production
Close Germany and the Netherlands Gasförder agreements?
A German-Dutch Agreement is intended to regulate gas funding in front of Borkum. Now there could be a decision in the Federal Cabinet. Criticism comes from the North Sea coast.
The German North Sea Coast (SDN) protective group calls on the Federal Government not to conclude an agreement with the Netherlands about gas funding in front of Borkum. “Not only the North Sea, but even the actual Wadden Sea nature reserve are increasingly getting into the so-called increasing industrialization,” said SDN chairman Gerd-Christian Wagner. He sees the danger that further gas support projects and other economic projects in the North Sea were difficult to prevent as a result of the agreement.
“Not to mention the associated increasing threat from accidents that the Wadden Sea in particular could permanently contaminate,” said Wagner. According to their own statements, around 200 members, including municipalities on the coast, nature conservation associations and associations, have come together in the protective community.
Cabinet decision expected
Today, the international law agreement between Germany and the Netherlands could be a topic in the Federal Cabinet for the controversial gas production before Borkum. The agreement has been negotiated since 2022.
If the agreement is concluded, it would be a U -turn in the federal government. The former Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) had declared during his term in August 2024 that he wanted to wait for possible judgments before signing the agreement.
The Dutch energy group One-Dyas wants to promote gas from a cross-border occurrence near the Wadden Sea. One-dyas plans to promote gas from a drilling platform on Dutch territory, even under the sea floor in the German area. The Lower Saxony State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology had granted 18 years of approval for this. However, the international law agreement between the two countries is also necessary for gas funding.
In the past few days, several environmental protection associations and Lower Saxony’s state government had criticized the plan to conclude the agreement, although there are still several court decisions about natural gas promotion. The hurry in the question was unusual, said Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Christian Meyer (Greens).
dpa
Source: Stern
