President Andrzej Duda vetoed the amendment to the act on government administration departments, the President's Office informed. The head of state's doubts are related to the proposal to separate the forestry and hunting department from the ministry of the environment and to establish a joint ministry of agriculture and forestry.

The amendment was a consequence of the reorganization of the government and the reduction in the number of ministries last year. According to the legislators, the aim was to improve the work of the Council of Ministers.

The head of state explains the objection with the fear of the consequences of such a decision for the environment, especially for the forests themselves.

"Taking into account the concern for the protection of nature and forests in Poland, there are doubts about the legitimacy of separating the environment from the government administration department,” the justification stated.

It was also emphasized that "the responsibility of the minister responsible for the environment for the area of ​​forestry and hunting has a long and good tradition," while, according to the president, "during the parliamentary work on the act in question, no arguments sufficiently supporting the proposed change were raised". According to the president, the issue of moving the State Forests (LP) to the Ministry of Agriculture "should be the subject of another, broad debate, during which all interested parties will be able to present their positions."

(EURACTIV.pl)