The Polish government has confirmed that it will permit a controversial section of the Via Baltica expressway – the Augustów Town bypass – to plough through the country’s treasured Rospuda Valley in north-east Poland, threatening an importsnt ecosystem and mammal migration area. A proposed north-south expressway, planned to connect Helsinki with Warsaw is now pending.
Protests against the decision of the Minister of Environment, Mr Szyszko, have been organised throughout Poland. The Polish public has recently joined the campaign, with floods of emails from individuals to Poland’s Prime Minister expressing disagreement with the planned Rospuda Valley route. Thousands of people have started wearing green ribbons in solidarity with the campaign. Activists from Greenpeace have settled a camp at the site, they are ready to defend the precious area.
Some European Union countries want to route the highway through Poland; offering to finance its construction in exchangefor a go-ahead. But the European Commission has sent two letters to the Polish government opposing the proposed route of the Via Baltica on the grounds that it would severely damage important, and protected, natural sites.
The second warning letter - a so-called “Reasoned Opinion” - is the last chance Poland has to stop works on then controversial Augustow Bypass through the pristine Rospuda wetlands before the European Commission takes Poland to the European Court of Justice, which could see the Court insist that they stop construction and ultimately impose a severe fine.
Due to the current state of urgency – contractors are already on the site of the proposed Augustow Bypass – the European Commission has taken the unusual step of giving Poland just seven days to respond.
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "I urge the Polish Government to once more consider ways of building these bypasses without causing such serious environmental damage. I believe that Poland has everything to gain by building new infrastructure without sacrificing its most precious natural heritage."