A20: Finally agreement! Dispute over bats and construction continues!

A20: Finally agreement! Dispute over bats and construction continues!

In Kiel, the political waves due to the A20 have finally calmed down somewhat after years of dispute. On November 19, 2025, an agreement was reached in the Kiel state parliament between the state government and conservationists, which allows the further construction of an important section near Bad Segeberg. This agreement could be seen as cause for celebration in many quarters, but there are differing opinions within the political ranks about what the move really means. While CDU MP Lukas Kilian celebrates the agreement as a “breakthrough” and a pragmatic step, SPD MP Niclas Dürbrook is more skeptical and describes it as “anything but a breakthrough”.

After 16 years of negotiations, it has now been possible to withdraw the lawsuit brought by the Federal Environment Agency and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND) against the building permit for the A20 section between Weede and Wittenborn. This was done in exchange for the establishment of a foundation called “Bat Protection Schleswig-Holstein”, which will be endowed with 14 million euros. The aim of the foundation is to secure the flight routes of bats between the Segeberger Kalkberghöhle and the surrounding habitats. Ecological balance is to be ensured through measures such as the construction of a forest fringe and the construction of a crossing suitable for otters, which could alleviate some of the nature conservation associations' dissatisfaction with the construction of the motorway.

A wave of uncertainty

Despite the agreement, some uncertainty remains in the region. Environmental protection is increasingly becoming a key issue in political decisions, especially in a project as important as the A20, which is intended to represent a central transport axis between Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. However, the mayor of Bad Segeberg expressed his relief at the agreement and speaks of planning security and a promising perspective for the protection of local wildlife.

The Green parliamentary group leader Lasse Petersdotter emphasizes the importance of bat protection and praises the compromise found, while FDP MP Christopher Vogt describes the agreement as “bought at a high price”. SSW MP Sybilla Nitsch is also critical and calls the late conclusion of the negotiations worrying. Finally, there are still warnings that there could also be a risk of lawsuits on other sections of the A20. These concerns are particularly expressed by Dürbrook, who asks whether the price of these compromises might not be too high.

A fight for the environment

More and more such conflicts show how much the issue of environmental and nature conservation has come to the fore in recent decades. This change began with the founding of the Green Party in the 1980s and continued with the creation of new ministries to enforce environmental policy measures. Environmental protection has long been anchored in the political agenda, and impacts such as water and air pollution mean that all parties have to take up these issues in order to secure electoral success. Once again, the challenge is how to find compromises in the political process that do not always meet the wishes of all actors.

With construction of the A20 scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, it will be interesting to see how the situation will develop. The call for tenders will start next year, and it remains to be seen whether the decisions made will actually bring the hoped-for planning security or lead to new conflicts that could increase the existing pressure on the region. The next step is clear: those responsible must be careful not to lose sight of the future while at the same time tackling the urgency of the present.

For more information on the details of this agreement you can read the reports on NDR and Cars, motors and sports read up. It also provides interesting insights into the development of environmental policy bpb.de.