In the coming days, Poland plans to file a complaint with the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding waste that originated in Germany and found its way to Poland, according to Climate Minister Anna Moscow as announced on television. She also noted that the ministry is preparing multiple complaints to the EU tribunal, including one related to a ban on registering new internal combustion engine vehicles in Poland.
“We have nothing else to do.”
In the latter half of May, Deputy Climate Minister Jacek Dekora announced the preparation and submission of an application to the CJEU accusing Germany of failing to clear approximately 35,000 tons of waste that ended up in Poland.
Two proceedings have already been filed in Polish courts. Meanwhile, German parties are collecting refuse, and there are other cases where agreement cannot be reached through standard channels.
Minister Moscow stated on Wednesday that the German side does not accept the arguments, explaining that these issues fall within federal competencies. Poland believes it has no alternative but to take the matter to the CJEU and pursue accountability for unresolved environmental concerns, asserting that some landfills in Poland belong to German interests. She also mentioned that these are sites created before the SENT system went into effect.
The SENT system is an ICT framework designed to monitor the movement of sensitive goods and is implemented by the National Revenue Administration. Starting from February 2022, it covers cross-border waste transport and serves as a tool to track and verify shipments for compliance.
A number of complaints to the CJEU
When asked about the timing, Moscow indicated that the complaint would be filed in the coming days. The ministry is coordinating with European Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski and other officials who manage these procedures. In addition, a set of applications under the Fit for 55 package is being prepared. The ministry anticipates that a substantial package of measures, including the push to ban registration of new emission vehicles, will be implemented as part of this broader European initiative.
Anna Moscow emphasized that the Fit for 55 package, crafted by the European Commission, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030, relative to 1990 levels, and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The package includes several regulatory acts, among them a proposed ban on selling new internal combustion engine cars after 2035. In March, the Council of the European Union adopted rules setting tighter CO2 emission standards for new cars and vans, with a target of a complete reduction in CO2 emissions for new vehicles by 2035. This framework effectively signals a prohibition on registering new internal combustion engine vehicles from 2035 onward.
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-Jacek Dekora: We will apply to the CJEU with a complaint against Germany, addressing the failure to clean up 35,000 tons of waste.
-A horrible situation! A German portal claims that waste from Germany is ending up in Poland, and authorities in Berlin have not taken steps to address the issue.
For further context, the discussions reflect ongoing cross-border environmental accountability concerns within the European Union and the evolving regulatory landscape that governs waste management and vehicle emissions across member states.
Overall, the proceedings underscore Poland’s commitment to holding Germany accountable for waste management practices and its readiness to leverage EU institutions to enforce compliance, while also aligning domestic policy with EU climate and mobility goals.