Court Rules: Commission Breached Duties Stipulated in Article 85 (1) of the Treaty
In a significant move towards the expansion of renewable energy, the SPD state parliament faction in Magdeburg, Germany, has expressed its support for the Acceptance and Participation Act, a bill proposed by Energy Minister Armin Willingmann. This act aims to increase the acceptance of new renewable energy facilities among local communities and ensure fair local conditions for everyone taking the energy transition seriously.
The bill includes payments to municipalities, a key component of the Act. These payments are designed to provide planning security for local authorities, encourage the expansion of renewables, and open up room for local investments in infrastructure, public services, and climate protection. The goal is to create a participation model that doesn't prevent investments but accompanies them, ensuring that communities directly benefit from the energy production.
Juliane Kleemann, the SPD state parliament faction's spokesperson for environmental and energy policy, emphasised the importance of this Act, stating that it is a significant step for the successful expansion of renewables. She suggested that communities where wind turbines are located should directly benefit from the energy production, creating justice and support.
However, not everyone is in agreement. Olaf Feuerborn, President of the Farmers' Association and a member of the state parliament, has publicly criticised the bill, despite previously approving the coalition factions' draft in the committees. Kleemann implied that the criticism might not be about the bill's issues but about satisfying individual interests.
To address concerns, the SPD faction is relying on the united law: regulated participation, genuine acceptance, and legally secure implementation of the bill. They take seriously the criticism of smaller operators, agricultural businesses, and the population regarding the bill. The accounting model for the payments is bureaucracy-light, transparently showing how much money will flow into the community's coffers from operating wind turbines.
The extra-parliamentary participation process for the bill has now closed, and all concerns could have been raised in the preceding years. The SPD faction believes that ensuring fair local conditions is crucial for anyone taking the energy transition seriously, and they are committed to making this Act a success in Magdeburg.
The Acceptance and Participation Act, supported by the SPD state parliament faction in Magdeburg, involves payments to municipalities as a key component, aimed at benefiting local communities by facilitating investments in infrastructure, public services, and climate protection. However, Olaf Feuerborn, President of the Farmers' Association, has expressed criticism of the bill despite initially approving it in committees, leading Kleemann, the SPD spokesperson, to suggest that this criticism might stem from individual interests rather than the bill's issues. To address concerns, the SPD faction emphasizes a bureaucracy-light accounting model, ensuring transparency and regulated participation to secure the implementation of the bill.
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