EU takes court action to halt Polish road work in fragile forest

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2007

BRUSSELS (AFP) — The European Commission sought a court order Wednesday to halt the construction of a road in an ecologically fragile part of northeast Poland, upping the ante in a standoff with Warsaw.

"It is with regret that the Commission is bringing this case to the European Court of Justice," EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said.

"But this course of action is necessary if these precious natural sites of European significance are to be protected from irreparable damage."

The European Union's executive arm said that although it supported improvements to the country's road network, it could not accept the "unjustified" damage that would be caused by the construction of bypasses.

The Commission launched legal action in December against...