A burning issue

Poland's Green Party, Zieloni 2004, recently contacted the Regional Development Minister, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, and the Environment Minister, Maciej Nowicki, to express its opposition to plans to build domestic waste incineration plants in Polish cities, using funds from the EU's Infrastructure and Environment Operational Program for 2007-2013.

There are nine projects for the construction of such plants in Poland's major urban centers included on the list of undertakings backed by the previous PiS government. The estimated cost of these projects is over EUR 1 (zł.3.62) billion.

According to Zieloni 2004, building these plants would undermine the objective of developing recycling in Poland, and would also cost more than recycling. They warn that if the government pursues this policy, it is likely that EU directives on recycling would be breached.

Karolina Jankowska of Zieloni 2004 said the current government was not to blame. "The waste policies implemented by the previous government were short-sighted, and not integrated with other policies. They were also reluctant to follow the EU on these matters. It is difficult to change strategies and legislation overnight, and often hard to change them during one term of office."

Jankowska emphasized that the intervention of Zieloni 2004 was the beginning of a process which was yet to take place properly in Poland.

"It is hard to change a policy [on waste management] with only EU directives as a guideline. We need collaboration with other EU member states, and openness to new solutions, which in Poland has been lacking until now."

Jankowska stated her belief that the government will change its mind on building the incinerators.

"Sooner or later, the government will change its mind. Poland is no longer an isolated country which decides on its laws alone, and this is particularly true in environmental matters, where almost 90 percent of legislation is set by the EU."