Written question asked by Mark Lazarowicz (Labour) on Thursday, 25 October 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 October 2007. It was answered by Jim Murphy (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 October 2007 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Poland: Environment Protection

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2007, Official Report, columns 853-54W, on Poland: environment protection, whether the Government plan to make an intervention to the European Court of Justice in the case of the European Commission and Poland on the construction of the Augustow and Wasilkow road bypasses following the publications of details in the Commission's Official Journal on 25 August.

Answer: On July 31 2007 the construction work of Via Baltica in Rospuda Valley was stopped. The outgoing Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Law and Justice Party, (Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc (PiS)) announced that work would continue on other sections of the planned route, without any damage to the whole investment.The Polish Government still has to wait for the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) decision on the proposed route via Rospuda. It may take up to one and a half years as the ECJ has rejected Poland's request to deal with the issue in an urgent six-month mode.It is difficult to predict what may happen during this time following recent elections and the change of Prime Minister. Press reports suggest the new Government of Civic Platform may change the plans chosen by the PiS to avoid Natura 2000 areas in the Rospuda Valley. The decision is to be postponed until after social and environmental consultations.Details about the case were published in the Official Journal on 25 August. The UK's deadline for applying to intervene in order to submit a statement in intervention expired on 16 October. No Departments have expressed an interest in intervening in the case and therefore the Government do not currently plan to make an intervention in the case.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 161689; 465 c1320W
Session: 2006-07
Related items: Poland: Environment Protection
Monday, 11 June 2007
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Environment protection Poland
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk