German ecologists filed a lawsuit against Nord Stream-2 for damage to the environment of the Baltic Sea
On May 3, the German Union for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (NABU) filed a lawsuit in the Hamburg Administrative Court against the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. The lawsuit alleges that the planned pipeline through protected areas in the Baltic Sea is damaging the sensitive marine environment.
This was reported in the press service of the environmental organization.
The lawsuit concerns an unfinished section of the pipeline in Germany's exclusive economic zone.
The lawsuit was preceded by an objection procedure, which began in 2018 and was last extended in March 2021 after the approval of the Second Amendment.
The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic agency rejected this objection on April 1, 2021. Therefore, the only way to limit the damage to the Baltic Sea is to take legal action.
Due to the complaint, construction at the German site cannot continue at this time.
“Thanks to the previous objection procedure, we have achieved that construction could not take place in the bird sanctuary during a particularly sensitive winter holiday. But Nord Stream 2 is also directly destroying seabed habitats in an area larger than 16 football fields, with a total impact area more than ten times greater", - said NABU President Jörg-Andreas Krueger.
According to the law of nature protection, interventions in ecosystems must first be compensated by compensatory measures. Therefore, the Federal Agency for Nature Protection demanded to restore the damaged reefs. But Nord Stream 2 should be able to buy a replacement.
"This is in no way in line with the critical state of the Baltic Sea. In addition, the question of whether we need this pipeline at all is becoming increasingly important", - the statement says.
What is known
- The United States and several EU countries oppose Nord Stream 2, saying it will increase Europe's dependence on gas supplies from Russia.
- The European Parliament previously adopted a resolution in pursuit of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, demanding that the EU leadership, among other issues, immediately stop the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.
- The United States will consider imposing new sanctions to stop the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.
- The German government is proposing that the United States strengthen its support for Ukraine in exchange for waiving new sanctions against the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
