The treaty for the fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt

On 3 September 2008, the Ministers of Transport of Denmark and Germany signed a treaty for the establishment of a fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt.

The treaty was passed by the Danish parliament, Folketinget, on 26 March 2009 in the form of a Planning Act while in Germany, the treaty was approved by the Bundestag on 18 June 2009 and by the Federal Council on 10 July 2009.

Under the treaty Denmark has sole responsibility for financing the coast-to-coast project including the ramp and approach areas on both the Danish and the German side, as well as for the upgrading of the Danish landworks, which makes Denmark the sole owner of the fixed link. Germany will be responsible for the financing and extension of the landworks on the German side.

The treaty stipulates, furthermore, that the link will consist of a dual-track railway and a four-lane motorway. The link’s toll station will be sited on the Danish side of the Fehmarnbelt.

The Planning Act of 2009 stipulates that the all-encompassing pre-investigations must be carried out with regard to how the fixed link and the associated Danish landworks will impact humans, the environment, navigational safety and geotechnical factors.