What went wrong in Białowieza forest

In 2017, the Polish government authorized the cutting of between 160,000 and 180,000 trees in the Białowieza Primeval Forest. A measure which the European Court of Justice considers an infringement of the EU’s Habitat Directive, requiring member states to take appropriate conservation measures for special areas.

Published on 20 April 2018 at 09:07

- Gazeta Wyborcza (Warsaw)

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Tree-felling in the area of the Białowieza forest had not been seen on this scale since 1988. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Białowieza natural area represents a unique habitat for plants and animals. Today, many fragments of this beautiful forest are gone and natural renewal will not be seen here for very long.

On April 17, 2018, the European Court of Justice ruled that "the forest management operations concerning the Puszcza Białowieska
Natura 2000 site that have been undertaken by Poland infringe EU law", and that "the implementation of those operations in fact results in the loss of a part of that site".

EdjNet partner BiQData retraces the steps that brought about the destruction of significant plots of the forest: read the full story here .

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Cet article est publié en partenariat avec the European Data Journalism Network

Cet article est publié en partenariat avec The European Data Journalism Network

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