The Supreme Administrative Court (NSS) has struck down a complaint by the Czech environmental group Děti Země over exceptions granted by the Ministry of Environment. The exceptions had cleared the way for the construction of one of the missing sections of the D1 motorway between Říkovic and Přerova. The environmentalists had appealed the decision of a lower court that rejected their suit against the exception to the NSS. Přerov’s mayor Vladimir Puchalský said he believed the environmentalists were less interested in the specific environmental impact of the road than they were in simply delaying construction work from beginning as long as possible. Děti Země’s director Miroslav Patrik was astonished at the speed of the court’s ruling, which was made “just” six weeks after he filed the appeal. With the appeal out of the way, the Czech Highway Authority can return to getting the planning approvals it needs for the road.
