Overview
- The Federal Administrative Court rejected BUND’s lawsuit, upholding habitat derogations tied to three protected bird species in the Ahrgebirge area.
- The judges emphasized the A1 link’s inclusion in the TEN‑T and its relevance for public security and defense, noting its classification as “vordringlicher Bedarf.”
- The decision confers building rights for roughly 10 kilometers between Kelberg and Adenau, closing part of a roughly 25‑kilometer break in the Eifel.
- Two further segments remain in earlier planning without plan approval, and the overall project is estimated at about €730 million.
- Rhineland‑Palatinate transport minister Daniela Schmitt urged the federal government, including Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, to secure funding and start work, while BUND’s Sabine Yacoub criticized the security rationale.