Federal Minister for Digital Affairs, Karsten Wildberger (CDU), has dismissed criticism that efforts to reduce bureaucracy and simplify processes will lead to lowering protective standards, especially concerning nature and species conservation. Speaking to the RTL and ntv program “Frühstart” on Wednesday, Wildberger stated that there is no reason to worry about diminishing standards, particularly in sectors requiring safety assurances. He noted that in areas like airports, technology is used to enhance security.
According to Wildberger, the goal of the reforms is simply to remove elements that have become overly complex, making things practical and implementable. However, he stressed that this simplification process will not entail lowering standards that should remain firm.
Regarding nature and species protection, Wildberger pointed to the extreme length of current procedures, citing an example where a mobile network installation took three and a half years only to receive permission. The minister then challenged critics, asking them to explain how the proposed changes would actually aid or protect society.
He affirmed that nature conservation holds high importance within the cabinet. In his view, if Germany wishes to expand its fiber optic network, laying the cables is necessary; once installed, nature will naturally recover and the environment will return to balance.
However, a scientific advisory board commissioned by the federal government evaluates the implications of the proposed Infrastructure Future Act differently. The criticism is not that standards will be formally lowered, but rather that infrastructure interests are systematically prioritized over environmental and nature conservation. This prioritization makes it easier to approve intrusions into nature and the landscape. The expert council on environmental issues stated that the acceleration legislation embodied in the draft goes to “a new quality that now explicitly comes at the expense of nature and environmental protection.” They added that this is highly problematic given Germany’s poor overall environmental condition, including the ongoing challenges of anthropogenic climate change and biodiversity loss.
The experts further argued that the proposed development path continues to prioritize infrastructure against sustainable goals, giving it precedence over environmental and nature protection. Instead of factoring in the current state of scientific knowledge or possibilities for efficient implementation, the federal government appears to be following a questionable pattern of symbolic action. They concluded that this approach risks contributing very little to acceleration while simultaneously diminishing environmental protection levels.
