On 15-17 April 2019, the meeting of the Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessments operating within the national network of environmental authorities and managing authorities of EU funds “Partnership: Environment for Development” was held.
The leading subject were the issues related to the possibility of legalising projects that could have a significant environmental impact. Mr Marcin Adamczyk, legal adviser from the Marcin Adamczyk, Jerzy Jankowski and Partners s.c. law firm, presented the Group members with a problem related to the above issue and presented his demands for amendments to the Polish legislation on legalising projects that could have a significant environmental impact.
Another issue raised during the debate was the legalisation in the light of construction law. Mr Maciej Kotarski, Construction Supervision Inspector for the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship and Mr Dominik Pływaczewski, legal adviser from the Construction Supervision Inspectorate for the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship, presented the Group members with the legalisation issues in the light of construction law, discussed the amount of legalisation fees and penalties for land use violation, pursuant to the applicable legislation and case-law in this regard, as well as the existing experiences of the Construction Supervision Inspectorate for the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship. The Working Group members could discuss the presented subjects and made an attempt to formulate proposals of amendments to the Act of 3 October 2008 on the Provision of Information on the Environment and its Protection, Public Participation in Environmental Protection and Environmental Impact Assessments, as regards the subjects being discussed.
Another element of the meeting was a visit to the Michelin Polska S.A. establishment in Olsztyn. The participants in the study visit could become familiar with the tyre production technology and technological and organisational solutions used at the establishment, which contribute to minimising its environmental impact. Michelin Polska S.A. is a very modern factory that observes all environmental requirements and takes measures to improve air quality and to reduce water consumption. The group was presented with current investment activities aimed at reducing the use of solid fuels at the establishment and at building a modern natural gas-powered power plant.
The last point of the visit, to which the debate on the third day of the meeting was dedicated, was an analysis of the approach of the Managing Authorities of Regional Operational Programmes (ROP) to the evaluation of the environmental documentation submitted by the Beneficiaries for projects co-financed by the ROP in the light of recent court decisions. The marshal’s offices representatives present at the meeting had an opportunity to present their approach to verifying and evaluating applications for financing and to share their experience in this regard.
At the end of the meeting, the activities regarding the work of the Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessments in 2019 were discussed and the subjects to be discussed at the group’s meetings in the following months were indicated.
The visit was organised by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection as part of the project “Continuation of support for the functioning of the network of environmental authorities and managing authorities of EU funds “Partnership: Environment for Development for 2018-2019” co-financed by the Cohesion Fund as part of the Technical Assistance Operational Programme 2014-2020.