FDP proposes commission of inquiry to protect the Baltic Sea
Instead of a national park, Schleswig-Holstein's Liberals have proposed a commission of inquiry to improve the protection of the Baltic Sea. "If the CDU and the Greens are really serious about protecting the Baltic Sea, they can't refuse a commission of inquiry," FDP state leader Oliver Kumbartzky told the German Press Agency on Friday. "Baltic Sea protection is not just a matter for the government; the state parliament also has an important say in the matter and the corresponding decision-making powers."
For the FDP state party conference on Saturday in Neumünster, a corresponding motion has been submitted by Kumbartzky, Theresa Leinkauf, Chair of the State Environment Committee, and state parliamentary group leader Christopher Vogt. In addition to saying no to the national park, the applicants are calling for a commission of inquiry on Baltic Sea protection to be set up in the state parliament.
"A broad, transparent discussion involving science and practice must be possible," said Kumbartzky. If the party conference follows the proposal, his parliamentary group will submit a corresponding motion to the state parliament.
Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens) and his party see a national park as the best means of protecting the Baltic Sea. At a state party conference in September, also in Neumünster, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) was also in favor of the idea. "Why shouldn't what is good for tourism and the economy on the west coast also be good for the Baltic Sea coast," explained the former environment minister of Schleswig-Holstein. In Kiel, however, resistance from the coalition partner CDU is immense. Instead, the CDU wants to improve the poor state of the sea with the help of voluntary agreements as well as stone reefs and seagrass beds.
During the consultation process, tourism companies and associations in particular, but also many local authorities along the coast, positioned themselves against a national park. They feared restrictions on water sports, for example. Support for a national park came from environmental associations.
The FDP's proposal for a commission of inquiry on Baltic Sea protection underscores their belief that environmental policy should be a collaborative effort between government and state parliament. This commission could provide a platform for a broad, transparent discussion involving science and practice, as suggested by FDP state leader Oliver Kumbartzky. Contrarily, some parties, such as the Greens, advocate for a national park as the finest method to protect the Baltic Sea, but this idea has met with resistance from certain sectors, like tourism companies and local authorities along the coast.
Source: www.dpa.com
