On 31 March 2026, the Landscape Planning Working Group met online to discuss a range of current policy developments at federal and EU level.

Florian Mayer from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation joined the discussion via video link as an expert guest. He provided an update on the current status and the timeline for implementing the EU Restoration Regulation in Germany. He also presented selected research projects undertaken by the BfN which could provide an important basis for the further technical development of nature conservation-related planning and management tools.

A key focus of the meeting was on two legislative proposals by the Federal Government that are particularly relevant to landscape planning. The discussion began with the Future of Infrastructure Act, the legislative process for which is already at an advanced stage. In the run-up to the meeting, Kerstin Berg, Mario Kahl and Lisa Lau were able to raise key points of criticism from the bdla during a discussion with Helmut Kleebank (SPD), a Member of the Bundestag. The focus was, in particular, on proposed changes to established assessment procedures and planning instruments.

The working group also addressed the ‘counterbalance’ to the InfZuG planned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment: the Act on Strengthening Natural Infrastructure and Further Developing the Impact Assessment Regime under Nature Conservation Law. The proposal aims to systematically strengthen natural infrastructure in relation to grey infrastructure. Should the draft be pursued in its current form, a fundamental shift in the system of impact assessment could be on the horizon.

The working group then discussed the implementation of the RED III Directive, amendments to the Building Code, and EU initiatives to accelerate environmental assessments. The members agreed to continue monitoring these developments closely, analysing them from a practical perspective and summarising the findings for the association.

Source: bdla association journal “landschaftsarchitekt:innen” 2/2026

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