As reported here on FemernReport in recent weeks, it has been a significant task for Nakskov Port to deepen and establish the shipping channel through Nakskov Fjord. The port had initially received permission from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency to dump the dredged sediment from the fjord in the Langelandsbelt – a so-called dumping permit – back in early May.
On hold since may
However, this dumping permit was appealed by Jakob Larsen, a self-declared spokesperson for the Citizen Group Against Dumping and a biologist from Holstebro, to the Environmental and Food Appeals Board. Since then, the case has been awaiting a decision. The ruling is not expected until the end of November at the earliest.
The Environmental and Food Appeals Board has stated that the decision cannot be made because additional information is needed – without specifying what kind of information is required.
Approval processes must be accelerated
Now, Danish Ports, the interest group for Denmark’s commercial ports, is urging politicians to review whether the rules and complaint system can be made more flexible. This comes in response to a report released by the government-established Ports Partnership at the end of September, which examines the role of Denmark’s commercial ports in the green business development.
The report concludes that “the precondition for Denmark achieving the politically set climate goals in both the Climate Act (2020) and in the agreements for ambitious and rapid expansion of wind energy in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea through the Esbjerg Agreement of May 2022 and the Marienborg Declaration of August 2022, is that authorities’ approvals in connection with, for example, wind farms, port expansions, and dumping must be significantly accelerated. Today, it can take up to four times longer to get final approvals for a port expansion than it takes to carry out the actual physical expansion.”
Addressing the right to appeal
This viewpoint is elaborated on to FemernReport by Tine Kirk, CEO of Danish Ports:
– Something needs to be done about the right to appeal and the suspensive effect of complaints. It is our clear impression that the government is also aware that cases need to be processed faster. This was most recently expressed on Monday afternoon when the government received the Ports Partnership’s recommendations at Kalundborg Port. Of course, associations and citizens should be able to file complaints. But it must not turn into harassment or spiral out of control, says Tine Kirk.
