Energy network: Bavaria demands nationwide suspension of association lawsuits

To accelerate infrastructure measures, Bavaria’s Minister of Economics Hubert Aiwanger calls for a nationwide suspension of the association law. The possibility of association lawsuits in environmental and nature conservation law is “a factor that can still lead to considerable delays in the expansion of the energy infrastructure and thus can conflict with the acceleration impact intended by determining the outstanding public interest,” writes the Free Voter boss in a letter to Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reich (CDU), which is available to the German Press Agency in Munich.

Aiwanger fears massive weakening of willingness to invest

In order to move faster when building streets, lines, rails or electricity lines, “a restriction, but at least a three -year exposure to the association law for infrastructure measures, is necessary, especially in the energy sector,” emphasized Aiwanger. The previously existing plaintiffs for the environmental associations not directly prevented by the construction projects and thereby led to a massive weakening of the willingness to invest in the energy infrastructure in Germany.

Upon request, Aiwanger explains that the existing plaintiffs would sometimes brake the expansion of the energy infrastructure. “This is neither to be conveyed to the citizens in the country nor our economy. If the federal government wants to enable investments of hundreds of billions of euros in the coming years, it must change and evaporate the association law.” Otherwise, many projects would “become a pipe rice”.

Rich at the start of Suedlink in Bavaria

This Friday, Reiche is a guest in the Lower Franconian Oerlenbach at the start of construction of Stromtrasse Suedlink in Bavaria – here too there are massive protests by residents against the mostly underground lines for renewable electricity from northern Germany. Incidentally, Aiwanger himself was also a vehement opponent of the route in earlier years. In the meantime, like the entire state government, he also speaks out for the construction of further lines.

Aiwanger also calls for change in Aarhus Convention

Aiwanger’s claim to Reiche goes even further – so he not only speaks in the letter that the CDU minister may work for the moratorium in the association law “within the Federal Cabinet and at all levels. In his view, a change in the so-called Aarhus Convention would also be required. In 2007, Germany ratified the international agreement, which demands a public participation in decision -making processes and access to courts in environmental affairs.

In the current coalition agreement of the Federal Government, the Union and SPD have already agreed on reforms in the right of action: “We will reform, tighten and focus on the actual dismay. We will reduce it except for the minimum European law and work through the Federal Government’s initiatives.”

Greenpeace warns of dangerous consequences for democracy

“What minister Aiwanger demands is dangerous. To suspend the rights of environmental and nature conservation associations violates national and international law,” said Saskia Reinbeck from Greenpeace. Anyone who attacks the right of action damages the stability of society.

Further: “The Bavarian state government has massively disabled the expansion of wind turbines and electricity routes in the past ten years. It is now absurd to put this political failure of having to put environmental protection associations on,” emphasized Reinbeck. Many associations have been demanding a faster expansion of renewable energies for years.