The Sassnitz town council has rejected a citizens' petition against the planned LNG terminal on the island of Rügen as inadmissible by a narrow majority. With this decision, the initiators wanted to ensure that the town, as the majority owner of the ferry harbour, does not enter into any transactions in connection with the construction of the LNG terminal. Existing contracts are to be cancelled.

In addition to the lower legal supervisory authority, the city had commissioned the law firm DOMBERT Rechtsanwälte to review the legality of the citizens' petition. Both came to the conclusion that the wording contained both substantive and formal errors. In their expert opinion, the commissioned lawyers Dr Dominik Lück and Dr Maximilian Dombert criticised the fact that the initiators of the citizens' petition had completely disregarded financial aspects. Stopping the LNG terminal could result in claims for damages and repayment of subsidies. Income from trade tax or harbour fees, which would be lost if the terminal is not built, would also have to be factored in. The two lawyers argue that citizens must be informed of these costs if they are to decide in favour of or against the project.

The first of two LNG terminals in the Baltic Sea is to be built in Mukran this winter. A connecting pipeline through the Baltic Sea to the mainland is almost complete.

The lawyers Dr Dominik Lück and Dr Maximilian Dombert have reviewed the citizens' petition for the town of Sassnitz. They specialise in municipal law.