WARSAW (Reuters) – More than 150 non-governmental organisations are asking the European Commission to intervene to halt the development of a wall on the Polish-Belarusian border working by means of protected areas, together with one in all Europe’s final primeval forests.
Poland began building a 186 km (115.6 mile) metallic barrier in January to deter migrants after almost 40,000 folks from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa tried to cross from Belarus final 12 months.
The barrier will run by means of a number of protected Natura 2000 areas, together with the Bialowieza Forest, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage website and residential to the European bison, lynx and different endangered species.
The organisations from 25 international locations argue the undertaking will divide animal habitats and interrupt ecological connectivity.
“We oppose the development of this horrible wall, which will likely be ineffective in stopping the migration disaster whereas risking the collapse of protected species akin to lynx,” mentioned Augustyn Mikos from the Association Workshop for All Beings.
“We name on the European Commission, which is the guardian of the EU’s Treaties and Laws, to urgently take motion to stop this barrier that goes towards all European human rights ideas and is in infringement of EU regulation on nature.”
The attraction will likely be handed on Tuesday to a consultant of the EU government in Warsaw along with a letter signed by over 1,500 lecturers and a petition of the local people opposing the wall.
The organisations say the choice to construct the barrier was taken with out public consultations or an environmental affect evaluation.
Poland’s authorities has mentioned the regulation on the border wall didn’t require such an evaluation and that over 20 animal crossings can be constructed to restrict its affect on wildlife.
UNESCO, the European Commission and environmentalists known as in January for a correct evaluation of the environmental affect of the development.
(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
