Nature Conservation: Permits for Interventions, Mitigation and Compensation Measures

The goal of nature conservation is to preserve nature and the landscape for their own sake and as the basis of human life. Since severe damage to or even the destruction of nature and the landscape can have serious negative consequences for humans as well, the focus is not only on protecting the landscape but also, in particular, on preserving—and, where necessary, restoring—the natural balance and ensuring its long-term and sustainable use.

Anyone wishing to carry out a project that alters the use or character of the surrounding area and that could significantly impact the natural balance or the landscape—particularly through construction activities—generally requires a permit for such intervention. In such cases, the resulting impacts on the natural balance and the landscape must be kept to a minimum. Depending on the situation, unavoidable impacts must either be offset in kind through nature conservation and landscape management measures or compensated for by equivalent alternative measures. Special, more lenient regulations apply to zoning plans and in unplanned inner-city areas.

In addition to a permit for the project, many other approvals under nature conservation law may be required today (e.g., species protection, habitat protection, the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive or the Birds Directive, and protected area regulations). Projects in Natura 2000 sites that do not require any additional permits may still be subject to a notification requirement.