The European Court of Justice has ruled that Germany is not doing enough to protect nature. The EU judges found that Germany violated its obligations under the Habitats Directive. The European Commission can now impose millions in fines on Germany if necessary.
Specifically, 88 areas were not designated in time as protected zones for the conservation of animal and plant species. The European Commission had warned Berlin multiple times and eventually brought the case before the Court of Justice. This ruling is a blow to the German authorities and has potentially far-reaching consequences for nature conservation in the country.
The implications of this ruling for the German agricultural sector should not be underestimated. Many of these 88 areas are located in rural regions where agriculture is an important economic activity. The ruling may lead to stricter regulations and restrictions on farming practices in these areas to restore and preserve natural habitats.
The German government will likely now be compelled to take drastic measures to repair the environmental damage. This may include restoring agricultural lands to their original natural state, which entails significant costs for the farming sector.
Environmental activists and conservationists welcome the ruling of the European Court of Justice as a victory for nature and biodiversity in Europe. However, they also emphasize that this is only the beginning of a long process to heal the damage caused to natural habitats and biodiversity in Germany.
One of the reasons for the failure to designate protected areas and enforce regulations is that parts of German agricultural and environmental policy fall under the federal government in Berlin and other (fairly large) parts fall under the regional governments of the sixteen German federal states. A similar situation occurred several years ago with German manure and nitrate policies, which Berlin had to amend after a European multi-million euro fine.