Following the CJEU ruling, observers anticipate a gradual halt in certain forest-management processes, with foresters’ activities potentially facing new scrutiny. A spokesperson for Poland’s president commented in a weekend interview that the decision could trigger a phase of increased oversight across Europe, challenging how member states manage their own natural resources.
In a conversation published in the Saturday-Sunday edition of Nasz Dziennik, Paweł Sałek discussed the recent Court of Justice of the European Union ruling that allows challenges to forest management plans in court by ecological organizations. He framed the development as part of a broader EU strategy aimed at constraining national sovereignty in resource decisions, suggesting it marks the next stage of a deeper integration process within the bloc.
Independence is kept to a minimum
The adviser argued that the strategy seeks to shrink the autonomy of national governments and parliaments. He asserted that democratically elected authorities in member states must increasingly defer to the European Commission, an institution he noted lacks direct democratic legitimacy in the eyes of many observers.
According to the adviser, the Polish state should openly challenge practices by the European Commission when those actions appear to lack lawful grounding in existing treaties. He insisted that the EC has shown a tendency to bypass established legal orders and to position itself above treaty-based rules, a stance he urged Poland to resist through principled dialogue and, if needed, formal discussions with Brussels.
In his view, the Polish side should remind Brussels of these treaty boundaries and engage in negotiations to safeguard national prerogatives over forest resources and environmental governance. The remarks reflected a broader concern about the balance of power between national sovereignty and EU institutions in areas touching natural resources and land use.
What does the CJEU judgment mean?
When asked about whether amending Polish law in response to the CJEU judgment — which permits appeals against forest-management plans by ecological organizations without justification — could lead to a paralysis of forest management, Sałek offered a cautious assessment. He suggested that domestically, one could foresee a phase of slowing or complicating forest-management activities in light of the ruling.
The adviser warned that procedures and activities conducted by forest rangers might face new questions across the country, spanning more than 430 forest districts. He noted the potential for local communities to become more critical of foresters, portraying them as adversaries to nature by focusing on cutting and resource use. He also mentioned the possibility of long-running lawsuits being launched in matters that had not previously reached ordinary courts, signaling a period of heightened judicial review in forest-related processes.
These comments highlighted a tension between conservation goals and local interests, with foresters potentially finding themselves navigating increased legal scrutiny and shifting public expectations. The discussion underscored the broader challenge for policymakers: balancing ecological protections with sustainable resource management while respecting national legal frameworks and EU oversight mechanisms.
gat/PAP
Source: wPolityce