The EU’s top court has ruled that increased logging in Poland’s Bialowieza forest violates environmental laws.

Bialowieza forest is a Unesco World Heritage site, but in 2016 former environment minister Jan Szyszko tripled its logging limits.

Since then, environmental groups have been fighting against the decision, pointing out the rich animal and plant life found in the ancient forest – including Europe’s largest herd of bison.

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The ruling on Tuesday came into force immediately, meaning Poland must hastily reverse decisions that allowed the logging.

If this is not done, the government could be fined up to tens of millions of euros.

Scientists across Europe warned the increase in logging would be harmful, but the Polish government initially argued it was necessary to prevent bark beetle infestation.

When the move was made to escalate operations in the forest, environmental lawyers ClientEarth, together with six other organisations, filed a complaint to the European Commission.

ClientEarth chief executive James Thornton said: “This is a huge victory for all defenders of Bialowieza Forest. Hundreds of people were heavily engaged in saving this unique, ancient woodland from unthinkable destruction.

“We warned that the increased logging would breach EU law even before the minister officially authorised it. From a legal perspective, the case has been as clear as day from the beginning – it was very obvious that the law was being broken."

The case saw Mr Szyszko dismissed from him position in March, and Poland has said it will respect the court’s ruling.

As the court’s verdict is valid immediately, the government will have to act fast to avoid the Commission launching a legal case over non-compliance, which could result in significant fines.

The minimum penalty is €4.3 million, but usually in such cases fines are much higher.

“This is a great win for the Polish people who consider the Białowieża Forest an intrinsic part of our heritage. But the actions and legal violations that led to the ruling are an important reminder that our efforts cannot stop here. The Białowieża national park must be extended to protect one of the last natural forests in Europe," said Dariusz Gatkowski, biodiversity specialist at WWF-Poland.

“This is not the end of our fight. The ruling is just on paper for now: we need to see concrete action. First, the decisions that allowed logging must be withdrawn,” said Mr Thornton.

“Then, the Polish government should also consider enlarging the national park so it encompasses the whole of Bialowieza Forest.

“This is the only way to guarantee that devastation of the forest will not happen again. We believe that this World Heritage site and one of the last primeval forests in Europe deserves it.”</s>The European Union’s highest court has ruled that Poland violated environmental laws with its massive logging of trees in one of Europe’s last pristine forests.

The ruling on Tuesday by the European Court of Justice said that in increasing logging in the Białowieża forest, Poland failed to fulfil its obligations to protect natural sites of special importance.

In a blow to Poland’s ruling nationalist party, which has also been accused by the EU of weakening the rule of law, judge Marek Safjan said the logging in the ancient forest endangered many species of birds and insects.

Poland had argued that felling the trees was necessary to fight the spread of bark beetle infestation.

Environmentalists say the large-scale felling of trees in Białowieża was destroying rare animal habitats and plants, in violation of regulations. They held protests and brought the case before the court last year.

Poland has since replaced its environment minister and stopped the logging. Warsaw has said it will respect the EU court’s ruling, which comes into force immediately.

If Poland fails to stop the logging, the government risks a minimum fine of €4.3m and up to tens of millions of euros.

James Thornton of environmental legal group ClientEarth, one of the groups who complained to the European Commission, said: “This is a huge victory for all defenders of Białowieża forest. Hundreds of people were heavily engaged in saving this unique, ancient woodland from unthinkable destruction.

“We warned that the increased logging would breach EU law even before the minister officially authorised it. From a legal perspective, the case has been as clear as day from the beginning – it was very obvious that the law was being broken.

“This is not the end of our fight. The ruling is just on paper for now: we need to see concrete action. First, the decisions that allowed logging must be withdrawn. Then, the Polish government should also consider enlarging the national park so it encompasses the whole of Białowieża forest. This is the only way to guarantee that devastation of the forest will not happen again. We believe that this world heritage site and one of the last primeval forests in Europe deserves it.”</s>Poland's rightwing government broke the law by logging in one of Europe's last primeval forests, a UNESCO world heritage site, the European Union's top court ruled Tuesday.

Logging in the Bialowieza Forest began in May 2016 but the European Commission took Poland to court last year arguing that it was destroying a forest that boasts unique plant and animal life.

"The forest management operations concerning the Puszcza Bialowieska Natura 2000 site that have been undertaken by Poland infringe EU law," the European Court of Justice said in a statement.

It said that the Polish government must comply with the court ruling to stop logging "without delay" or face financial penalties.

Bialowieza, which straddles the border with Belarus, includes one of the largest surviving parts of the primeval forest that covered the European plain 10,000 years ago.</s>Logging in the Bialowieza Forest began in May 2016 but the European Commission took Poland to court last year arguing that it was destroying a forest that boasts unique plant and animal life.

"The forest management operations concerning the Puszcza Bialowieska Natura 2000 site that have been undertaken by Poland infringe EU law," the European Court of Justice said in a statement.

It said that the Polish government must comply with the court ruling to stop logging "without delay" or face financial penalties.

Bialowieza, which straddles the border with Belarus, includes one of the largest surviving parts of the primeval forest that covered the European plain 10,000 years ago.

Explore further: EU hauls Poland to top court over ancient forest logging</s>WARSAW, Poland -- The European Union's top court ruled on Tuesday that Poland violated environmental laws with its massive felling of trees in one of Europe's last pristine forests.

The ruling by the European Court of Justice said that, in increasing logging in the Bialowieza Forest in 2016-17, Poland failed to fulfil its obligations under EU directives to protect natural sites of special importance.

Poland's environment minister at the time, Jan Szyszko, argued that felling the trees was necessary to fight the spread of bark beetle infestation. Heavy machines were used in the process, causing additional damage to the forest.

Poland's conservative government is involved in a number of disputes with the EU, including one over changes to the judicial system -- an argument that has led Brussels to trigger a process that could lead to punitive measures against Warsaw.

In the forest dispute, the court said bark beetle infestation did not justify the scale of the logging, while Poland failed to ensure the safety of birds and other species in the forest. No fines were imposed because the machines have been removed and the excessive logging has stopped.

Environmentalists say the large-scale felling of trees in Bialowieza, which straddles Poland's eastern border with Belarus and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, destroyed rare animal habitats and plants in violation of EU regulations. They held protests at the site and brought the case before the EU court.

The chief executive of the ClientEarth environmental organization, James Thornton, said the ruling was a "huge victory for all defenders of Bialowieza Forest, hundreds of people who were heavily engaged in saving this unique, ancient woodland from unthinkable destruction."

Philippe Lamberts, co-president of the Greens group in the European Parliament, said Poland's government has "repeatedly undermined rule of law."

"I hope this ruling will at last convince the Polish government that they need to change course," he said.

In January, Poland replaced its environment minister and stopped the logging. The new minister, Henryk Kowalczyk, has said Warsaw will respect the EU court's ruling and will seek better ways of protecting the forest.

The forest covers tens of thousands of hectares (hundreds of thousands of acres) in Poland and Belarus, and is home to hundreds of animal and plant species, including bison, lynx, moss and lichen.

Its younger parts have been traditionally used to produce timber, a source of income for local residents.

The European court ordered Poland to pay court costs. It didn't specify the amount.</s>Poland's decision to beef up logging in the country's protected Bialowieza Forest — a UNESCO World Heritage site — is in breach of European Union law, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Tuesday, the eve of World Heritage Day.

"The forest management operations concerning the Puszcza Bialowieska Natura 2000 site that have been undertaken by Poland infringe EU law," the ECJ said in a statement.

The ECJ said that the Polish government must stop logging "without delay" or face financial penalties. Poland said in a statement that it would respect the ruling by the bloc’s top court.

The final ruling was in line with a preliminary decision released by the ECJ in February.

The European Commission took Poland to court in 2017 arguing that the forest, that boasts unique plant and animal life, was being destroyed. Logging in the Bialowieza Forest began a year earlier.

The chief executive of environmental organization ClientEarth, James Thornton, said the ruling was a "huge victory for all defenders of Bialowieza Forest, hundreds of people who were heavily engaged in saving this unique, ancient woodland from unthinkable destruction."

"This is not the end of our fight. The ruling is just on paper for now: we need to see concrete action … We believe that this World Heritage site and one of the last primeval forests in Europe deserves it."

"Today is a clear victory for Europe’s wildlife," said Andreas Baumueller, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) European Policy Office. "Nature cannot be ignored and neither can EU law."

Last year, the EU's high court issued an injunction forbidding Poland from continuing to allow logging in Bialowieza, Europe's oldest forest. But in an unprecedented move, Poland's government ignored the order and continued to allow logging.

The entire Bialowieza forest covers around 148,260 acres in eastern Poland and stretches into Belarus with a total of about 150,000 hectares. Bialowieza is one of the last remaining parts of the primal forest that once stretched across the northern European lowlands.

Although designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, only parts of the Polish section of the forest are protected as a natural park, while in neighboring Belarus, the entire forest is protected. After Tuesday's ECJ ruling, ClientEarth's Thornton said the Polish government should consider enlarging the national park so it encompasses the whole of Bialowieza Forest.

This article was originally published on DW.com. Its content is created separately from USA TODAY.</s>(CN) – The European Union’s top court cracked down on Poland Tuesday for cutting down large old-growth spruce trees in one of the largest and most intact forests on the continent.

Though an English translation of the ruling is not available, a press release on the case from the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg says that Poland ramped up timer harvesting in the Bialowieza Forest to curtail an infestation of bark beetle.

Environmentalists argued meanwhile that the policy was a thinly disguised play for increased economic activity, amounting to a government handout to logging companies at the expense of the ecosystem. They held frequent protests at the site, drawing international attention.

Spanning large swaths of Poland and Belarus, the Bialowieza Forest is a World UNESCO Heritage Site and is highly regarded as one of Europe’s last remaining pristine forests — a remnant of a formerly immense stretch of woodland that covered much of the continent.

In 2016, the Polish minister for the environment enacted a policy that effectively tripled the amount of logging in three districts of the forest — Bialowieza, Browsk and Hajnowka — purportedly in response to an infestation of spruce bark beetle.

“The court finds that implementation of the active forest management operations at issue results in loss of a part of the Puszcza Białowieska Natura 2000 site,” Tuesday’s press release from the Court of Justice states.

Regulators with the European Commission brought the underlying action based on its conclusion that Polish authorities failed to ascertain whether its forest-management measures would harm the integrity of the protected area.

“The court stresses in this context that the spruce bark beetle was not identified in the slightest by the 2015 management plan as a potential threat to the integrity of the Puszcza Białowieska Natura 2000 site,” the press release states.

Poland’s governing party, the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiSin Polish), has clashed frequently with the EU over a variety of matters including the apparent curtailment of a free press, stacking the judiciary and undermining other democratic norms.

The country, which has recently sought to defuse tension with the EU, said it has replaced the environmental minister that enacted the policy and ceased logging in the contested areas.

The Bialowieza Forest became a World Heritage Site in 1979 and was expanded several times thereafter, most recently in 2014. The site encompasses about 876 square kilometers. As Poland sought to increase logging, its eastern neighbor, Belarus, enacted stricter conservation regulations.

The forest provides unique wildlife habitat for a variety of species including European bison, lynx, wolves and semi-wild horses.</s>Poland's rightwing government broke the law by logging in one of Europe's last primeval forests, a UNESCO world heritage site, the European Union's top court ruled Tuesday.

"The forest management operations concerning the Puszcza Bialowieska Natura 2000 site that have been undertaken by Poland infringe EU law," the European Court of Justice said in a statement.

It said that the Polish government must comply with the court ruling to stop logging "without delay" or face financial penalties.

Bialowieza, which straddles the border with Belarus, includes one of the largest surviving parts of the primeval forest that covered the European plain 10,000 years ago.</s>LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The European Union’s highest court ruled on Tuesday that Poland broke environmental laws with large-scale logging in the ancient Bialowieza forest, one of a raft of flashpoint issues between the eurosceptic Polish government and the bloc.

In a final ruling in Luxembourg, judge Marek Safjan of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said the logging in Bialowieza, a World Heritage site and home to the rare European bison, had endangered many birds and insects.

For months, Poland ignored environmentalists’ protests and an ECJ order last July to stop logging immediately, further fuelling concerns that it was backpedaling on democratic standards under the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Warsaw said earlier this year it had stopped the logging, part of a broader campaign to improve ties with the EU after two years of bitter feuds - including on judicial independence and migration - since PiS won power in 2015.

Environment minister Jan Szyszko, who was responsible for the increased logging quotas, has since been dismissed, and the ministry said on Tuesday that it would respect the ruling.

“Poland will observe the ruling,” the current Environment Minister Henryk Kowalczyk said in a statement.

The ministry added it would send the EU’s executive new proposals for on a possible protection plan for the forest.

“We still need to stand up for the Bialowieza forest in Poland and abroad,” said environmental group Greenpeace. “The Polish state’s holding company still sees a cash-grab instead of a delicate old-growth forest.”

Back in 2016, Poland had tripled logging quotas and said spruce and pine trees that were more than 100 years old had to be felled because of a beetle infestation. The ECJ said on Tuesday that was not justified.

While the case has since lost some of its political prominence amid a push for a deal between Warsaw and the bloc in the broader dispute over the rule of law, environmental groups say damage has already been done to the delicate habitat.

Logging quotas to 2021 had already been reached and in one part of the forest an expanded quota, declared illegal by the bloc’s executive European Commission, had been more than half fulfilled.

“The decisions that allowed logging must be withdrawn. Then, the Polish government should also consider enlarging the national park,” said James Thornton, head of the environmental campaign group ClientEarth.

“This is the only way to guarantee that devastation of the forest will not happen again.”</s>LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The European Union’s highest court ruled on Tuesday that Poland broke EU environmental law with large-scale logging in the Bialowieza forest, an ecologically important World Heritage site which is home to the rare European bison.

In a blow to Poland’s ruling nationalist party, which has also been accused by the EU of weakening the rule of law, Judge Marek Safjan of the European Court of Justice said the logging in the ancient forest endangered many species of birds and insects.
The European Commission rules Poland's logging operations in the Białowieża Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are a violation of international law.