Poland: European Commission takes urgent action to protect threatened wildlife habitats
Rospuda river
valley - download
IMCG Letter of Concern
(February 2007) and read background
information
for further information see also The Rospuda River Valley
and visit viabalticainfo.org/spip.php?rubrique2
and read press release of the European Comission
Via Baltica is planned to connect Helsinki with Warsaw.
Polish government promotes the route via the city of Bialystok through
the most valuable areas proposed for Natura 2000 sites and protected
under Polish law as well as international conventions in Podlasie
region of Poland:
Augustowska Primeval Forest with unique Rospuda river valley - an Important
Bird Area (IBA) and a potential Natura 2000 site
Biebrza Valley - a national park, a Ramsar site, an
Important Bird Area (IBA) and a potential Natura 2000 site
Knyszynska Primeval Forest - a forest landscape
park, an Important Bird Area and a potential Natura 2000 site
and in close proximity to the Narew National Park -
an Important Bird Area (IBA) and potential Natura 2000 site.
Sign petition now to help reject the route through Bialystok in favour
of the route through Lomza - not so destructive for the environment:http://www.darzbor.v24.pl/pliki/index_eng.html
Thank you
Darz
Bor ! - Polish discussion group devoted to wildlife
protection
Help for signing the petition:
Podpisz petycje - Sign the petition
Imie i nazwisko - First Name and Last Name (full name !)
Miejscowosc .... - City, Area, Country
Strona domowa - Homesite
PESEL - ID Number (Passport, Driver License etc)
Komentarz - Comments
* - required fields
red line - Bialystok route
green line - Lomza route
green fields - areas proposed for
Natura 2000 sites
yellow fields - national parks
Download background information
This briefing summarises the serious concerns of environmental
NGOs regarding infringements of EU nature legislation in relation to
construction of the Via Baltica expressway in Poland. Severe damage to
the pristine Rospuda Valley in Augustow Primeval Forest Natura 2000
site is now imminent despite the infringement proceedings
initiated by
the European Commission in December 2006. Action is needed
urgently if this catastrophic damage is to be
averted. Environmental NGOs are highly concerned about the environmental impacts of the construction of expressways in north-eastern Poland. The Polish authorities have given the “green light” for construction of two road projects - Augustow bypass and Wasilkow bypass on/ related to road number 8/planned expressway S-8. This road is the Polish authorities’ preferred route for the Polish part of the Helsinki-Warsaw Pan-European Transport I road corridor (often referred to as “Via Baltica”).
The NGOs are extremely concerned that these projects will damage two Natura 2000 sites (Augustow and Knyszyn Primeval Forests SPAs). The pristine Rospuda Valley in Augustow Primeval Forests SPA will be devastated by the Augustow Bypass if this project goes ahead and the habitats of a large number of species including lesser-spotted eagle, white-tailed eagle, white backed woodpecker and capercaillie will be irreversibly damaged.
The European Commission evidently shares these concerns
because an
infringement procedure was opened against Poland for breaches of the
Birds and Habitats Directives in relation to Via Baltica with a
“Letter of Formal Notice” sent to Poland in
December 2006. Both Augustow and Wasilkow bypasses are mentioned in the
Letter. In December 2006, Poland was also sent a Reasoned Opinion in
relation to its failure to propose sufficient SPAs and Natura 2000
sites. Neither Augustow nor Knyszyn Primeval Forests have been
officially notified to the Commission by the Polish government as
proposed Sites of Community Interest, although they host animals,
plants and habitat types included in the Habitats Directive (e.g.
European bison, wolf, lynx and bog woodland).
Despite the
infringement proceedings the Polish authorities seem
determined to proceed with the projects.On 2nd
February 2007
the building permit (the final decision before construction can start)
was issued for Wasilkow Bypass. Last Sunday (4th February) at the same
time as a World Wetlands Day event in Warsaw was celebrating the value
of the Rospuda Valley wetlands, the Polish Minister of Environment
decided to refuse the appeals of the Polish Ombudsman and NGOs and
upheld the environmental consent for the Augustow Bypass. And
last Friday (9th February) the building permit was issued for Augustow
Bypass through pristine wetlands in Rospuda Valley. This permit was
issued with “immediate implementation
status”. It means that construction works can be
started and the Natura 2000 sites damaged despite the outstanding NGO
and Ombudsman court appeals. It is being reported that logging of
20,000 trees in the Augustow Primeval Forest to get access to Rospuda
Valley will start still in February. So even if the court appeals
subsequently find against the authorities, the Natura 2000 sites could
have been seriously damaged in the meantime. At this stage restoration
for the damage is likely to be extremely difficult, if not impossible,
and the cost of compensation for the damage could be enormous.
Please help us stop this damage! 
NGOs call on the European
Commission to:
Disclaimer
The information on this site has been checked by IMCG members to their best knowledge. However, we request everybody who disagrees with the information on this site to contact the IMCG secretariat.
www.imcg.net last
update 01-03-2007