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‘We need a modernization push:’ How Germany wants to speed-up infrastructure projects

Germany’s Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer wants to accelerate construction times for bridges, railway lines and mobile phone masts in a bid to push projects forward in Germany.

Published: 8 January 2020 10:43 CET
Updated: 8 January 2020 17:20 CET
‘We need a modernization push:' How Germany wants to speed-up infrastructure projects
View of the Kiel Canal in Schleswig-Holstein. Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer wants to accelerate the construction times for bridges, railway lines, waterways and mobile phone mast projects. Photo:

“When it comes to expanding the infrastructure, we have so far had the big problem of long approval and planning times,” the CSU politician who heads up Transport and Digital Infrastructure, told DPA in Berlin.

“This applies to railway lines, roads, bridges and waterways, but also to the expansion of mobile phone masts and fibre optics,” Scheuer said.

A mobile phone mast, for example, requires 18 months for permits in Germany, while in other European countries it takes just four to six months. “We have to get there. We need a modernization and acceleration push for Germany.”

In autumn last year, Scheuer presented a bill to accelerate important infrastructure projects. Shortly before Christmas, the Bundesrat dealt with it but asked for improvements to the bill. This Wednesday, the Federal Cabinet will re-examine the initiative.

READ ALSO: Germany's (dis)connectivity: Can the broadband Internet gap be bridged?

According to Scheuer's draft bill, instead of lengthy planning approval procedures, an approval decision the Bundestag should now be tested in pilot projects. 

According to the Ministry, the 12 planned pilot projects include seven rail projects and five waterway projects – including the deepening of the Kiel Canal in Schleswig-Holstein and the expansion of the Wesel-Datteln Canal in North-Rhine Westphalia. 

Germany’s 16 states welcomed the plans in principle, but had proposed further projects. In addition planning procedures for replacement new constructions should be streamlined – in the case of bridges that are falling out of repair, for example.

Scheuer told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland on Wednesday: “In the next few weeks we will take decisive steps to accelerate planning for large infrastructure projects.”

A bridge from the 1970s, which will be demolished and replaced by a new, identical bridge will no longer need years of planning approval procedures, he said.

READ ALSO: New map shows Germany's mobile dead zones

Vocabulary

Mobile phone mast – (der) Mobilfunkmast

Bridge – (die) Brücke

Railway lines – (die) Bahnstrecken

Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure – Bundesminister für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur

Improvement/correction – (die) Nachbesserung

Draft bill – (der) Gesetzentwurf

We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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Denmark signals support for zero-emissions zones in cities

A new proposal presented by the government on Wednesday could give local authorities the ability to designate zero-emissions zones in cities.

Published: 26 May 2021 15:03 CEST
Denmark signals support for zero-emissions zones in cities
Parking spaces at a charging point in Aalborg. The sign reads "reserved for electric cars". File photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

The zones would only allow access to vehicles without combustion engines, such as electric cars.

Wednesday’s government proposal states that there is already demand at municipalities for zero-emissions zones in set parts of cities in order to reduce air and noise pollution.

The government said it wants to accommodate that demand while still enabling people to live, move around and shop in the zones.

“The government will therefore look closely at whether affected residents and businesses in the area have realistic alternatives and that there would be time to meet the criteria,” the government writes in the proposal.

“A framework must also be set to ensure access for necessary use of industrial vehicles, including delivery of goods,” it adds.

A long period of transition would be required in municipalities that decide to take up the option of establishing the zones, according to interest groups for the automotive industry.

Goods vehicles could be amongst those to face the largest obstacles in such a situation, as the range on zero emissions goods vehicles on the market is limited, according to the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI).

“That means it would be difficult to ensure supply to cities where the requirement for zero emissions might be effective,” DI’s CEO Lars Sandahl Sørensen said via written comment.

The association for car importers in Denmark, De Danske Bilimportører, said that the zones would be difficult to implement without a long phasing-in.

“The proposal for zero emissions zones in particular is very far reaching and can hardly be implemented without a long phasing in period, as the range of electric and hydrogen cars with sufficient range should be greater,” the organization’s CEO Mads Rørvig said in a statement.

FDM, an association for motorists in Denmark, went further in its criticism of the plan.

“It’s far too early and disproportionate to have zero-emissions zones that would exclude 98 percent of Danish motorists,” FDM senior consultant Dennis Lange said in a written comment.

“This is a symbolic policy which will have no measurable effect on pollution,” he added.

READ ALSO: Lower Danish taxes backed for home electric car charging

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