Question juridique clé
Whether the new Groundwater Protection Ordinance applies immediately to existing protection zones established under earlier law.
Solution extraite
Yes. The ordinance applies immediately to existing protection zones, and the minimum use restrictions in Annex 4 bind those zones regardless of inconsistent local protection-zone regulations.
Motifs extraits
Because of the strong public interest protected by the GSchG, the new ordinance is directly applicable from 1 January 1999 to existing zones; old zoning plans remain valid only to the extent compatible with the mandatory federal rules.