POLAND: Locals angry at Poland's decision not to resume construction of motorway in Rospuda Valley

Poland will not resume the construction of a motorway through a protected wildlife area to allow a European court to rule on the project. The decision was received with dismay by local residents but with joy by conservationists, who had been planning a staunch resistance to the work. Poland will not resume the construction of a motorway through a protected wildlife area to allow a European court to rule on the project, Poland's prime minister said on Tuesday (July 31). The European Commission asked the European Court of Justice on Monday (July 30) to order Poland to halt preparatory work through the northeastern Rospuda Valley, which is known for its peat bogs and is home to rare plants and animals. Landowner and ecologist, Grzegorz Bozek, who was letting a group of environmentalists camp on his land in order to protest in case the construction had been allowed to go ahead was delighted at the news. "We are on our grounds, in our camp which we are closing at the moment since we have found out the prime minister has declared no construction works will be performed," he said. Speaking on Polish Radio, Polish prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said there was no way to stop the European Commission, and that by showing restraint they may be able to resume the planned construction in the future. However, this did not seem to be good enough for one Augustow resident who felt the continued postponement of a bypass around his town was unacceptable. "We hate the European Union and the prime minister. You can tell him that he shouldn't think on our behalf because now few people in Augustow will vote for him. One day he will lose his job and he will have to look at the mess of the Augustow road system," he said. "We condemn, we are not grateful to Kaczynski or to the ecologists; they've created a mess which will not be solved quickly. They can rule in their own backyards but not here," he added. The residents of Augustow had blocked an artery through the town until the early morning on Tuesday to pressure Poland's conservative government to continue supporting the project. They said it would allow heavy trucks to bypass their town. Another dismayed local was also critical of the decision to halt the works again. "I strongly regret what has happened, because a ring road is urgently needed and I think the government has made a mistake," he said. Warsaw had previously suspended the construction of a viaduct over Rospuda until August 1, 2007 due to a bird nesting season in the region. Kaczynski said Poland will, in the meantime, work on other sections of the international highway linking Warsaw to Helsinki via the Baltic states. The Commission wants the work halted until the court delivers a final verdict on whether the motorway construction in the area is compatible with strict EU environmental laws. Warsaw insists it is breaking no EU rules. The area is recognized by Brussels as having special environmental interest and has protected status under the EU's Natura 2000 network of conservation sites.

ITN Source | July 31, 2007

Tags:. .bird. .rare. .previously. .conservative. .conservation