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BUND Saxony for less bureaucracy in nature conservation

BUND Saxony for less bureaucracy in nature conservation
The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation in Saxony wants less bureaucracy to protect the environment. (Symbolic image) / Photo: Sebastian Willnow/dpa
From: DieSachsen News
Environmentalists see no contradiction between less bureaucracy and the protection of nature. Quite the opposite. This is why they welcome the government's efforts to reduce bureaucracy.

Less paperwork for more environmental protection: The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) sees opportunities for environmental and climate protection in the planned reduction of bureaucracy in Saxony. This is feasible if simplifications are "targeted at those areas where they make ecological measures possible more quickly", explained the organization in Chemnitz.

"Reducing bureaucracy can also help the environment if it is done in the right places," explained BUND Chairman Felix Ekardt. "Many projects in nature, water and climate protection fail today not because of political will, but because of complicated procedures and funding structures."

BUND Saxony is therefore calling for bureaucracy to be reduced primarily where it slows down ecological restructuring - and not in environmental standards that prevent damage to nature and water. In the association's view, there are areas where less bureaucracy would directly strengthen environmental protection.

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Digitalization as a means of reducing bureaucracy

For example, the environmentally friendly expansion of renewable energies and electricity grids must be further accelerated, it said. "More staff and digitalized procedures can make an important contribution here, as long as nature conservation concerns continue to be taken into account."

Digitalized permits and the so-called once-only principle could relieve the burden on authorities and speed up procedures without lowering environmental standards, BUND added. Under this principle, citizens and companies only have to submit data to an authority once.

Do not weaken environmental assessments and protection standards

At the same time, the environmentalists warned against devaluing and undermining environmental assessments or participation rights by reducing bureaucracy. "Environmental law prevents costly wrong decisions. If environmental assessments or protection standards are weakened, this often results in higher costs, for example due to flood damage, polluted waters or the loss of biodiversity," said Ekardt.

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