A spat within Austria's coalition government over an environmental law deepened on Thursday as the conservative chancellor's party filed charges against Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler, alleging abuse of office.
The criminal complaint was received by the Vienna public prosecutor's office, a spokeswoman told dpa.
Despite the the legal manoeuvre, Chancellor Karl Nehammer, of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), said that he would not dissolve the coalition between his conservatives and the Green Party before elections are held in September.
The spat arose after Gewessler agreed to the contentious EU Nature Restoration Law on Monday.
The ÖVP complaint, seen by dpa, said Gewessler acted "in violation of the law and the constitution."
Under the constitution, the minister would have been bound by the denial of the Austrian federal states, the complaint says. From the point of view of the ÖVP lawyers, she should also have discussed her move with the conservative Minister of Agriculture Norbert Totschnig.
Gewessler's approval resulted in a narrow majority among the EU states in favour of the law, which aims to restore forests, moors and other natural areas.
"I am very pleased that I was able to make a contribution to this," she said on Thursday, adding, "I am very relaxed about any legal action."
In the past, ÖVP ministers had also taken decisions at EU level against the will of the Greens, she added.
Conservatives and agricultural representatives fear that the new EU law will result in cuts for farmers, saying this could impact food production in the EU.