Overview
- The Verwaltungsgericht Augsburg issued an emergency order on Wednesday that temporarily stops construction of the new Scheidtobelbahn chairlift so a main court case can examine compliance with EU law.
- The court left separately approved piste construction in place after finding no immediate breach of the Alpine Convention soil protocol or habitat, species, and landscape protections in those works.
- The lift is the first project approved under Bavaria’s Third Modernization Law, which raised thresholds and allowed officials to waive an environmental impact assessment for this build.
- Practical pressure has risen because the old Scheidtobel lift has already been partly dismantled, creating uncertainty about whether the operator can finish any rebuilt lift in time for the winter season.
- The interim decision can be appealed to the Bavarian Administrative Court and a full main proceeding will resolve the core EU-law questions while the operator and authorities consider filing a formal environmental review.