43 million euros for compensation measures

Since the Nature Conservation Act of 2018 came into force, citizens, companies or public actors, which is destroyed in the course of a construction project, no longer have to compensate for themselves. Instead, they pay money (ecophanges) to the state for destruction and the state takes care of the compensation measures on specially intended space pools. These are spread over five geographical regions.

The Nature Conservation Act stipulates that the compensation measures are drawn every five years. Environment Minister Serge Wilmes (CSV) presented the first balance sheet on Friday. Since 2018, 43 million Öcopfunkt (one ecopoint is one euro) have been paid for destroyed nature. 62.7 million ecophanges of nature were restored on the area pools. « So we are globally in plus, » said Serge Wilmes.

But this does not apply to Gutland and the south. A lot of nature was destroyed in these two metropolitan areas, but in the absence of missing areas, especially in the south, fewer ecophanges have been restored than destroyed. It is difficult to get areas, especially in the south, said Wilmes. For this reason, an interministerial working group has now been used to find additional areas in the south and in Gutland.

The deadline is extended by eight years

It still looks like the destruction and recovery of nature do not compensate for. The law grants the state seven years to ensure that destruction and restoration balance. However, because this condition has not yet been reached and the deadline will take place in September, the statutory period – probably before the summer – will be extended by eight more years to 2033.

According to Carmen Weisgerber, deputy director of the natural and forest management, an average of seven million ecoplocals are destroyed every year. Around 100,000 ecophanges can be implemented per hectare area. « 25 projects are currently being implemented on the area pools. 14 of which have already been completed, seven are in implementation and four are in the planning, » said Weisgerber.

Environment Minister Wilmes has brought in a draft law that provides for changes to the Nature Conservation Act. One goal is to preserve nature in urban space or to create more green areas. In a new residential area (Pap Nouveau Quartier), over 20 AR must be reserved for at least ten percent for green spaces. « So we will have no less nature in the future, but more nature, » says Wilmes. In the future, the municipalities will also be more closely integrated into the compensation of nature by enabling them to create municipal space pools.