NGOs statement for international media concerning Minister of Environment’s invitation to Rospuda valley on April 3 rd
Clash of the networks:
Transport European Network and Natura 2000 network in Poland. “Via Baltica” case In connection with the media field-visit in the Rospuda Valley, environmental NGOs would like to express their deep concern about the environmental impacts of the development of expressways in north-eastern Poland, including the construction of the Augustow bypass through one of the most precious wetlands in this part of Europe – the Rospuda Valley
The Polish authorities have recently approved several road projects on road number 8/planned expressway S-8, which is preferred by Polish authorities route for the Polish part of the Helsinki-Warsaw Pan-European Transport road corridor (often referred to as “Via Baltica”). The NGOs are extremely concerned that these developments will damage three Natura 2000 sites, including the pristine Rospuda Valley in the “Augustow Primeval Forest” Special Protection Area (SPA), and irreversibly damage habitats of a large number of species including Wolf, Lynx, Elk, Otter, Lesser-spotted Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, White-backed Woodpecker and Capercaille.
The European Commission evidently shares these concerns because an infringement procedure was opened against Poland and the case was directed to European Court of Justice on March 21, 2007. We would like to emphasize once more the importance of Rospuda Valley for sustaining European biodiversity. On March 5th, the State Council for Nature Conservation - Ministry of Environment’s advisory body - issued a strong negative opinion regarding the construction of the Augustow bypass as proposed by General Directorate for Public Roads and Highway (GDDKiA) . The Council emphasised that the Rospuda Valley is a unique site of European importance and it is our moral responsibility to protect this place. In the Council’s opinion, the alternative route proposed by NGOs will have much less negative environmental effect and is worth to serious consideration. We would like to abolish some of the false arguments most commonly put forward by those insisting on constructing the Augustow bypass via the Rospuda Valley:
Contrarily to some voices, NGO’s would like to underline that the alternative variant through the Chodorki village had not been analysed neither during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure nor before. Official documents do not confirm an analysis of this variant neither by the investor nor during EIA procedure. An analysis was conducted of the Raczki variant, however this one significantly differs from the Chodorki alternative. The Chodorki variant was proposed by NGOs in autumn 2005.
It is also not true that realization of Augustow bypass through Chodorki demands a demolition of 30 houses. This variant limits the destruction to 2-3 houses on the total length of joint Augustow and Suwałki bypass (40 km). In order to implement year 2004 recommendation of the Bern Convention Standing Committee, a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for “Via Baltica”, examining the most appropriate route, is currently being undertaken by GDDKiA and is now due to be completed by September 2007. The SEA experts’ report has already recommended three routes – and these do not include the route along road no. 8/S-8 which would damage three Natura 2000 sites. It means that “Via Baltica” road will not run in the Augustow neighbourhood or along Augustow bypass, contrary to Polish government officials often statements. NGOs are however concerned that SEA procedure will be abandoned because the route along the road no 8 (through Augustow) is included in the EU Operational Programme “Infrastructure and Environment” (2007-13).
NGOs agree that the serious problems of high volume transit traffic on the national roads in N-E Poland have to be solved as soon as possible and strongly believe that the “Via Baltica” route recommended by SEA should be developed as a matter of urgency. Unique nature of European significance in this part of Poland doesn’t need to be an obstacle in transport infrastructure development if it is taken into account in the decision-making process and the transport plans and projects are developed in accordance with requirements of nature protection legislation.
