Saving of Rospuda Valley in Poland wins world’s top environmental prize
Polish conservationist Gosia Górska has been named today as one of six winners of the prestigious international Goldman Environmental Prize for leading a successful campaign to stop construction of the controversial Via Baltica Expressway through the Rospuda Valley in north-east Poland, one of Europe’s pristine wildernesses and an EU Natura 2000 protected site.
Gosia’s inspirational campaigning work on behalf of the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds, and involving a wider coalition of activists and organisations, ultimately resulted in a significant legal precedent for the protection of wilderness habitats across Europe: her challenge to the Polish government has led to the first ever successful intervention by the EU to obtain an order from the European Court stopping a member state from breaching environmental regulations and damaging a Natura 2000 site. This court ruling now has the potential to strengthen the legal framework for EU environmental regulations across Europe, specifically the protection of Natura 2000 sites.
Bankwatch is proud to have been part of this major campaign victory, and highly recommends a read of Gosia’s top activist tips published today in The Guardian. They are bound to come in handy – in spite of the precedent set by Gosia and supporters of the Rospuda campaign, there is no guarantee that the “environmental safety first” message has registered yet with project promoters and developers across central and eastern Europe.
source: www.bankwatch.org
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