German environmental aid complains: cities refuse information on parking!

German environmental aid complains: cities refuse information on parking!

The German Environmental Aid (DUH) has filed a lawsuit against the cities of Saarbrücken, Lübeck and Dessau-Roßlau. The reason for these legal steps is the persistent refusal of these cities to issue legally binding information on parking management. This information has been requested for more than six months. In September 2024, the DUH sent 21 questions on this topic to 105 German cities, including all major cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants and the five largest cities in each state. According to Saarbruecker-zeitung.de Monthly deadline, which the DUH prompted the current step.

The city of Moers was characterized by the fastest answer by reacting after eight days. In contrast, however, some cities needed far beyond the legally regulated deadline, such as Koblenz, which needed 143 days for an answer, or Frankfurt an der Oder, which had the longest waiting time at 185 days. Jürgen Resch, the federal manager of the DUH, commented on the importance of freedom of information for civil society. He emphasized that legal pressure is often necessary to enforce claims for information. Environmental lexikon-online.de adds that the DUH is required that environmental data collected by cities must be made available free of charge in public online portals.

Missing transparency in citizens' inquiries

In the current Situation, 15 cities only reacted to legal letters from the DUH, which raises the question of how well the legal regulations are actually met. The fee practice attracts special attention, which is interpreted in some cities as a deterrent measure. For example, the city of Magdeburg was faced with the highest fee threat of 1,000 euros, which was reduced to 168.25 euros after a contradiction. Similar fee claims were also levied in St. Ingbert (200 euros), Lutherstadt Wittenberg (178.26 euros) and Zwickau (134.72 euros), while Berlin was comparatively mild with 15 euros. Robin Kulpa from the DUH criticized the abuse of this fee regulation on the disability of civil society.

The city of Saarbrücken said that it would examine its obligations under the Saarland Environmental Information Act and the Freedom of Information Act and deal with the lawsuit legally. In view of the low response rate and the long response times, the need for comprehensive transparency in urban information is becoming increasingly urgent. This lawsuit could be regarded as a turning point in the relationship between civil society and municipal administrations.

future evaluations and publications

The DUH is currently working on the evaluation of the feedback on parking management. The first results on the subject of residents are scheduled for February 22, 2025. This information could be crucial for further driving the public discussion about the transparency and accessibility of environmental information. The focus is on promoting an active citizen participation in the design of public spaces and improving the general quality of life in the cities.