The Daily Express :
The European Union’s top court has ordered Poland to immediately stop a large-scale logging operation in the primeval Bialoweiza forest as Warsaw continues to clash with Brussels.
It is the latest clash between the EU and Poland after the bloc waded into Warsaw’s plans for judicial reforms.
The ruling comes as part of attempts to save the trees at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed forest, as a European Union lodged case against Warsaw looks likely to drag on for years.
A spokeswoman for the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave no immediate reason for the interim ruling, but it follows a legal appeal from the European Commission earlier this month.
In an interim decision, the ECJ said the logging should stop immediately as it could cause “serious and irreversible damage” to the forest.
The main case filed by the Commission against Warsaw at the ECJ could take years to conclude.
The European Commission says the ongoing logging at the forest, which is near the city of Hajnówka, violates the bloc’s wildlife protection laws.
Straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, Bialowieza is one of Europe’s oldest and last remaining ancient forests.
Covering around 350,606 acres, it is made up of mixed forest, wetlands and river valleys.
The forest is home to Europe’s largest herd of bison, and more than 250 bird species – some incredibly rare.
Environmental campaigners have held regular protests at the site as part of efforts to halt the logging, with UNESCO appealing to Poland to stop chopping down trees.
Despite the outrage, Poland’s right-wing, eurosceptic government says the process is necessary to protect the forest from beetles, thus safeguarding local communities living in the area.
Warsaw officials have also increased the quota of wood that can be harvested there.
Environmental activist group ClientEarth welcomed the decision, saying continued logging would cause “serious and irreparable damage to this priceless natural environment”.
Agata Szafraniuk, the group’s lawyer said: “In the history of the EU, emergency measures like this ban have only been used three times in nature conservation issues.
“So far there is no case in which an interim measure of the court was not respected.
“If Polish authorities do not follow that decision, it will be a serious conflict with the EU law.”
However, Poland’s Environment Minister Jan Szyszko – himself a hunter who enjoys the backing of forester and hunting lobbies – claims that more than one million trees will be cut down in Bialowieza this year to curb a bark beetle invasion.
Should Poland lose the main case at the ECJ, it faces a fine in excess of £3.58 million (€4 million), as well as the possibility of daily penalties of up to £268,500 (€300,000) for each day Warsaw defies the court’s decision.
The European Union’s top court has ordered Poland to immediately stop a large-scale logging operation in the primeval Bialoweiza forest as Warsaw continues to clash with Brussels.
It is the latest clash between the EU and Poland after the bloc waded into Warsaw’s plans for judicial reforms.
The ruling comes as part of attempts to save the trees at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed forest, as a European Union lodged case against Warsaw looks likely to drag on for years.
A spokeswoman for the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave no immediate reason for the interim ruling, but it follows a legal appeal from the European Commission earlier this month.
In an interim decision, the ECJ said the logging should stop immediately as it could cause “serious and irreversible damage” to the forest.
The main case filed by the Commission against Warsaw at the ECJ could take years to conclude.
The European Commission says the ongoing logging at the forest, which is near the city of Hajnówka, violates the bloc’s wildlife protection laws.
Straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, Bialowieza is one of Europe’s oldest and last remaining ancient forests.
Covering around 350,606 acres, it is made up of mixed forest, wetlands and river valleys.
The forest is home to Europe’s largest herd of bison, and more than 250 bird species – some incredibly rare.
Environmental campaigners have held regular protests at the site as part of efforts to halt the logging, with UNESCO appealing to Poland to stop chopping down trees.
Despite the outrage, Poland’s right-wing, eurosceptic government says the process is necessary to protect the forest from beetles, thus safeguarding local communities living in the area.
Warsaw officials have also increased the quota of wood that can be harvested there.
Environmental activist group ClientEarth welcomed the decision, saying continued logging would cause “serious and irreparable damage to this priceless natural environment”.
Agata Szafraniuk, the group’s lawyer said: “In the history of the EU, emergency measures like this ban have only been used three times in nature conservation issues.
“So far there is no case in which an interim measure of the court was not respected.
“If Polish authorities do not follow that decision, it will be a serious conflict with the EU law.”
However, Poland’s Environment Minister Jan Szyszko – himself a hunter who enjoys the backing of forester and hunting lobbies – claims that more than one million trees will be cut down in Bialowieza this year to curb a bark beetle invasion.
Should Poland lose the main case at the ECJ, it faces a fine in excess of £3.58 million (€4 million), as well as the possibility of daily penalties of up to £268,500 (€300,000) for each day Warsaw defies the court’s decision.
