(Text: NI): The Nature Conservation Initiative e.V. (NI), the Association for Landscape Management, Species Protection and Biodiversity e.V. (VLAB) and the Society for the Rescue of Dolphins e.V. (GRD) are filing a complaint with the EU Commission against the Republic of Germany for ongoing and systematic violations of EU nature conservation law.
The aim is for the European Court of Justice to declare that the new legislative changes are incompatible with European law. “In addition, we will apply to the higher courts for a referral to the European Court of Justice in currently suitable legal proceedings. Only recently, the ECJ had clarified the importance of the obligation to make a referral by the national courts and clarified which criteria the national courts have to observe,” emphasized Harry Neumann, Chairman of the Nature Conservation Initiative e.V. (NI), Johannes Bradtka, Chairman of the Association for Landscape Conservation, Species Protection and Biodiversity e.V. (VLAB) and Sigmar Solbach, Chairman of the Society for the Rescue of Dolphins e.V. (GRD).
With the latest amendments to the law, the German Bundestag has continued the series of “dismantling nature conservation contrary to EU law without achieving the expansion of renewable energies”, the three associations emphasize.
A legal opinion commissioned by the Nature Conservation Initiative (NI) now comes to the conclusion that there have once again been systematic violations of European Union law. “The changes in the law are eroding nature conservation standards and dismantling biodiversity protection in an unlawful manner. We will not accept this,” the association representatives explained.
More information on the website of the Naturschutzinitiative e.V.: https://www.naturschutz-initiative.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1531&catid=21
