UDT-CERT withdraws PEFC certificate from RDLP Bialystok

19 April 2018 News

UDT-CERT has decided to withdraw the forest districts Hajnówka, Białowieża and Browsk from the scope of the certificate issued to RDLP Bialystok. This follows the ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that Poland has failed its obligations to protect Białowieża forest under the Habitats and Birds Directives.

The ECJ decision ends a two year controversy surrounding a 2016 decision by the Polish Minister for the Environment to authorize an almost tripling of harvesting of timber in Białowieża to combat the constant spread of the spruce bark beetle and resultant public safety concerns.

The European Commission claimed Poland had failed to prove that logging would not adversely affect the integrity of the Natura 2000 site and therefore asked the Court of Justice of the European Union to rule on the matter.

"The forest management operations concerning the Puszcza Bialowieska Natura 2000 site that have been undertaken by Poland infringe EU law," the ECJ said in a statement.

PEFC International filed a complaint against the certificate in December last year, following the issuance of the forest management certificate by UDT-CERT on 14 November 2017.