Background papers
NGOs support strong Commission stance on ‘Via Baltica’ road development in Poland, 17 April 2007
We broadly welcome the Commission’s current approach to this issue and urge it to maintain a firm stance as we believe the Commission has a robust case following unreasonable resistance from the Polish Government. However, the increasing number of court cases on separate, but linked, road projects is a result of inadequate Polish strategic thinking. We urge the Commission to address this or risk further collisions with Poland that will slow down infrastructure development and will harm people and wildlife. Read the document >>
Via Baltica – not this way! Backgroun note, June 2006
Environmental NGOs (OTOP - the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds, BirdLife International, WWF, CEE Bankwatch Network) are extremely concerned about the possible impacts arising from the development of expressways in north-eastern Poland. One of the most harmful of such plans in terms of nature impacts is expressway S-8 which is already under construction as part of the Pan-European Transport Corridor from Helsinki to Warsaw – the so called “Via Baltica” along the route of the current road no. 8. There are advanced plans for the construction of new sections along this route, such as the Augustow by-pass through wetlands in Rospuda River Valley. Other sections of road no. 8 are being upgraded step by step to higher standards (ultimately expressway). Despite the fact that officially it has not yet been decided that the international expressway will follow this route! Read the document >>