Apparently the relevant municipalities were not consulted on the construction of the preventative fence on the Belgian border.
CSV Member of Parliament and Bascharage mayor Michel Wolter is at the heart of the issue, criticising the respective ministries for not consulting the municipalities in question. He pointed to a lack of information, which in turn meant the inhabitants in the affected areas could not be consulted on the construction of the fence. Wolter's primary concern was the fact that the fence does not follow the exact border, instead passing through parts of his municipality. He also pointed out that it is, in fact, two fences, which are not connected and do not seem to serve a purpose. Wolter later told RTL that he had only found out about the fence through the press reporting on it.
Wolter also wished to draw attention to the fact that the fence is set to cut certain properties in half: one notable example will see a farm residence on one side of the buffer stripand the rest of the land on the other. Should a case of swine fever be detected, this division could cause major issues. Wolter maintained that this requires further information meetings and Q&A sessions.
Minister of Agricultre Romain Schneider and Minister for the Environment Carole Dieschbourg responded to Wolter's urgent parliamentary question, confirming the fence had a legal basis and that municipalities would have been informed. Access to private properties would remain unrestricted.
The ministers said that the municipalities of Bascharage and Steinfort were notified of the fence construction on 20 March 2019, and that the fence would not be constructed on private land. The temporary construction was authorised by the Nature Conservation Act, as well as the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works.
© Domingos Oliveira/RTL
