German Parliament passes Infrastructure Acceleration Act
On February 10, 2023, the German Parliament passed the law to accelerate administrative court proceedings in the area of infrastructure (Gesetz zur Beschleunigung von verwaltungsgerichtlichen Verfahren im Infrastrukturbereich; VwGO), which is intended to significantly reduce the duration of court proceedings in the case of projects with “high significance for the economy or infrastructure.” These include the expansion of the rail network, wind energy plants, larger gas supply lines, long-distance roads and high-voltage lines. Overall, the VwGO should provide more flexibility for the courts and more streamlined procedures.