PiS is making a scandal about forests out of nothing. He threatens to “deprive Poland of control over 1/3 of the territory”

Poland is facing an existential threat – according to what Edward Siarka, Deputy Minister of Climate from Solidarna Polska, has said in recent days. – The European Union wants to deprive us of control over 1/3 of Poland! – he warned in the Sejm.

What is it about? About the woods. More specifically, a vote in the environmental committee of the European Parliament. Since last year, MEPs have been dealing with the proposal to amend the EU treaties, i.e. the most important legal basis of the community. They define, among other things, which matters are only within the competence of individual countries, which belong exclusively to the EU, and which are common. – this is the conclusion of the pandemic, when the community was criticized for not doing enough in the fight against COVID-19.

This week, the environment committee voted its recommendation to amend the treaties. She proposed that forestry (together with the protection of ecosystems, especially those with potential to fight climate change) should be transferred from national competences to common competences of the EU. PiS politicians raised the alarm.

“This is a serious threat to Polish forests, to the Polish economy!” – wrote MEP Anna Zalewska, and others followed her. Edward Siarka called a press conference. Even Climate Minister Anna Moscow wrote that “the idea of ​​the EP that Polish forests be managed by EU officials is absurd.”

According to politicians of the United Right, “despite our opposition, attempts are being made to limit our sovereignty.” However, this change cannot take place if Poland opposes it, and the consequences have little to do with what Siarka and others are threatening. And “EU officials” would not “manage forests”.

Treaties change? Only with everyone’s consent

Firstly, there is a very long way to go from the recommendation of one committee to the actual change of the Treaties. Poland, like any other EU country, can block such a change – so it is a lie for PiS politicians to say that the EU will “take back the forests despite opposition”.

As the portal reminds, to amend the treaties, however, the consent of all member states is necessary – the lack of consent from the Polish government is enough to prevent such a change. Warsaw is not the only one with a skeptical approach to transferring forestry to joint competences. The Finnish government has announced that it will oppose the changes if specific legal solutions are “unsatisfactory” for the country. Sweden also has concerns, which incidentally is criticized for

However, that’s not all. Even if the treaties were changed, entering forestry into the competences of joint governments and the EU does not mean that “officials will manage forests” and that Poland will “lose control over 1/3 of its territory”. Common competences also include, for example, agriculture, but this does not mean that we do not have control over agricultural areas.

What is national and what is common?

Competencies shared from three types of competencies. Only some of them – the customs union or the monetary policy for the euro area countries – are exclusive competences of the EU (although it should also be emphasized that the EU is made up of member states, so Poland has a voice in all decisions).

Shared competences are a large group, which includes, for example, the internal market, transport, energy, the area of ​​freedom, security and justice, as well as agriculture and fisheries. In these areas, the EU and its Member States can legislate. The division of competences is established and where they are not on the part of the Union – they are exercised by individual states.

The fact that a given competence is common to the EU and the country does not mean that some “EU officials” will control forests instead of Polish authorities, and even more so that we “lose control” over the entire area of ​​forests. Common competences include, for example, transport – but this does not mean that the EU manages the Polish railway or tells where to build roads. Another such area is agriculture, ie the Common Agricultural Policy. It provides some frameworks and guidelines and provides subsidies to farmers. It may propose some actions – for example, farmers who do not comply with environmental or public health requirements may have their support deducted. But it is not that an official from Brussels comes to Nowa Wieś near Ujście and says that it is not allowed to grow wheat there.

What’s more – the EU already has some influence on what happens in the forests. Because among the common competences is also the environment, which of course includes forests. So in this field we share competences with the EU anyway. For example, the EU’s Natura 2000 program of conservation areas also includes forests. The EU also has its own, which provides for protection of 30 percent. area of ​​EU countries, including 10 percent. strict protection. In Poland, only 1.5 percent is under strict protection. area of ​​the country, so it will be necessary to enlarge national parks or reserves. And this will also include forests.

From whom to protect the forests?

Environmental organizations have been criticizing the way the state manages forests for years and point out that they need to be protected not from the EU, but from irresponsible national policy.

The Workshop for All Beings pointed out that while politicians from the ruling party are scaring the EU, opinions are currently being issued on the Forest Management Plans, which assume the felling of over 100-year-old stands in the Natura 2000 area in the area of ​​the Białowieża Forest.

The organization also indicated for felling forests in Rymanów-Zdrój. “Is there anything that threatens Polish forests more than the economy of the State Forests?” – asked.

In Gazeta.pl, we have repeatedly written about doubts about the policy of the state and the State Forests towards forests, including about w .

State Forests It is questionable whether the State Forests will be .