Berlin Court Forces Ministry of Economics to Disclose Nuclear Power Files

The Berlin Administrative Court has ruled in favor of transparency regarding the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection’s internal documents on the recent nuclear power debate in Germany after a lengthy legal battle. 

The court deemed the ministry’s refusal to disclose the files as “unlawful” under the Environmental Information Act. This decision comes after Cicero, a German magazine, filed a lawsuit against the ministry for resisting to provide access to the documents.

The court found the ministry’s arguments for confidentiality unpersuasive, particularly since Germany had already completed its nuclear phase-out in April 2023. Despite claims from the ministry that secrecy was necessary to protect ongoing consultations, the judge asserted that the decision-making process had concluded, especially with the amendment to the Atomic Energy Act in December 2022.

However, the Ministry of Economic Affairs still has the option to appeal the decision within a month, potentially prolonging the process. The outcome of this appeal could further delay the release of the documents, with the financial burden falling on taxpayers and media outlets like Cicero.

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