to gather dust

It must not be allowed to gather dust.

Wir dürfen ihn nicht in den Schubladen verstauben lassen.

Lastly, with regard to the energy sector, I do not think we can talk about financial support just for project studies, because more often than not they are left to gather dust and, in my view, are another waste of resources.

Demokratie ist eben keine selektive Angelegenheit, sondern ein grundsätzliches Verfahren.