Strabag complains Germany: 335 million euros because of a wind farm disaster!

Strabag complains Germany: 335 million euros because of a wind farm disaster!

Strabag, an Austrian construction group, filed a lawsuit against Germany before a US court. The claim amounts to 335 million euros in damages, which result from failed offshore wind farm investments in the North Sea. The group claims that these investments have been significantly devalued by political decisions in Germany. In the lawsuit, reference is made in particular to a drastic change in the legal framework, with Strabag investing in trust in stability. According to Vol.at the company argues that these conditions have changed fundamentally since mid-2012.

The lawsuit is brought in by the subsidiaries Erste Nordsee-Offshore-Holding GmbH and second North Sea-Offshore-Holding GmbH. In addition to the main amount, Strabag also demands interest on the overall claim. To enforce their claims, the company has the district court in Washington D.C. Elected because it hopes to reach an agreement on an international way. Strabag relies on the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), which came into force in 1998 and is supposed to offer investors.

Litigation and decision of the ICSID

In December last year, the International Center decided to settle investment disputes (ICSID) in favor of Strabag and set a payment payment of around 240 million euros plus interest. Nevertheless, the German Ministry of Economic Affairs referred to a judgment of the European Court of Justice in the current proceedings, which classifies the energy charta contract as a violation of Union law. Strabag has so far not received an answer from the German Federal Government, but emphasizes its willingness for discussions, such as Spiegel

The NGO Attac has criticized Strabag's procedure and calls for Austria's exit from the energy charta contract. In this context it should be noted that the EU decided to leave the ect in May 2024, but Austria has not yet followed it.

background of the energy charta contract

The Energy Charter Treaty pursues the goal of multilateral cooperation in the energy sector to promote energy safety and competitive energy markets. The most important principles of the contract include the protection of investments, trade rules for primary energy providers and regulations on dispute resolution. The sovereignty of the countries about their energy resources is also emphasized. Information on this contract can be found on EUR-Lex .

This situation illustrates the current tensions in the field of international energy policy and the influence of political decisions on investments in sustainable energy projects. Strabag's lawsuit could have far -reaching consequences for relationships between Austria, Germany and the USA.