Overview
- The Oberverwaltungsgericht in Greifswald declared the state’s expanded regime for Sunday and holiday shop openings in tourist areas invalid, citing disproportionate encroachments on constitutionally protected Sunday rest.
- The annulled regulation covered 84 municipalities and permitted openings from 15 March to 31 October and 17 December to 8 January, enabling trading on roughly 36 of 52 Sundays plus six holidays and reaching about 23% of residents.
- The judges criticized the breadth of eligible locations and products, questioning tourist relevance in areas like certain Plattenbau districts, and found the rule’s timeframes and scope exceeded permissible exceptions.
- The decision is not yet final, so shops in listed towns may continue opening for now, and the state can seek a further remedy before the Federal Administrative Court.
- Verdi’s challenge prevailed and could ripple into Schleswig‑Holstein’s similar model, while business groups warn of immediate uncertainty and revenue risks after the court rejected a partial fix as unworkable in an integrated system.