The approval process for the terminal is a very thorough process that analyses all relevant components of the terminal and asseses their possible impact on the surrounding land and water environment and local communities.
It consists of a planning approval process and an immission control approval process in accordance with the German Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) for facilities on land as well as for waterside facilities. It does not only involve various public authorities, professional associations, and interest groups but also the interested public: every member of the general public can get access to the approval process documentation and voice questions and/or criticism during a public consultation period. The process itself consists of various statutory steps.
The scoping procedure, which forms part of the planning approval process, was conducted and completed in 2019. The scoping procedure describes the area of responsibility or the scope of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for complex processes and projects.
All important aspects concerning environmental protection that may be required for the terminal project are discussed during a scoping meeting with public authorities and other relevant organisations/public agencies so that they can be referred back to at a later stage when conducting the environmental impact assessment. The process does not involve weighing up future decisions or carrying out a political assessment of a project but is purely technical and legal review aimed at identifying possible ramifications.
