Stage-by-stage licensing procedure, prevention of damage, control by administrative courts. Some comments on the Wyhl judgment of the Federal Administrative Court

The author discusses the three main items of the Wyhl judgment of the Federal Administrative Court, of December 19, 1985 - 7C65/82, which are likely to set trends. The judgment clarifies the function of the socalled preliminary approval of the concept and its delimitation to the preliminary partial licence. According to the judgment, the first is a licensing requirement in substantial law. Precaution for preventing damage according to sec. 7, sub-sec (2) No. 3 Atomic Energy Act is regarded by the Court not as a prevention of hazards, but as the obligation to take every precaution to prevent damage, i.e. types of damage have to be taken into account that cannot be excluded to develop to a real hazard or potential risk. The problem of extent of control by the administrative courts is solved by the approach based on the legal functions of competence and responsibility that are to be drawn from the principle of division of power. (HSCH)