Biznes Fakty
The container terminal in Świnoujście. The court suspended the environmental decision.
The Provincial Administrative Court has put a hold on the environmental decision made by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ) regarding the container terminal in Świnoujście. This action was taken following a request from the Zielone Wyspy Świnoujście association and the Lebensraum Vorpommern organization from Usedom Island. The Deputy Minister of Infrastructure has assured that the investment will proceed.
The development of a deepwater container terminal in Świnoujście, designed as an external port, stands as one of the most significant projects within the Polish maritime sector. The Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority is the investor, while the initiative is overseen by the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The terminal is slated for construction completion by 2029. Earlier this year, in February, the General Directorate for Environmental Protection granted an environmental decision permitting the project’s advancement. However, in late March, the decision was contested by the German group Bürgerinitiative Lebensraum Vorpommern from Usedom Island. The case was subsequently forwarded to the Regional Administrative Court in Warsaw on May 7, with a hearing taking place on July 21. Lebensraum Vorpommern not only challenged the decision but also submitted a request to halt its enforcement.
Court’s stance on the environmental decision
The application has been assessed, and the court has decided to suspend the environmental decision, as confirmed by Dominik Niewirowski from the Provincial Administrative Court’s press office to PAP on Thursday. „I am not privy to the court’s rationale behind this ruling. A written explanation is currently being prepared,” he mentioned.
The judge responsible for the case has a period of 14 days to finalize this. A copy of the ruling will be distributed to the involved parties. Niewirowski clarified that there are two complainants in this matter: the German Lebensraum Vorpommern and the Polish association Zielone Wyspy Świnoujście.
Świnoujście ratmaner / Shutterstock.comThe court evaluated two requests to suspend the decision, submitted by both a German and a Polish association, Niewirowski stated.
He also mentioned that a hearing has been scheduled for August 4th, during which a ruling is anticipated – the Provincial Administrative Court will either uphold the complaint and annul the environmental decision or reject the appeal from the environmental organizations. Nonetheless, the ruling will not be conclusive. Niewirowski noted that there will be a 30-day window to appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court.
Three potential outcomes to consider
The deputy minister of infrastructure responsible for maritime affairs, Arkadiusz Marchewka, a PO MP from Szczecin, acknowledged in a discussion with PAP that he is contemplating three possible scenarios.
„The complaint could be denied, the environmental decision might be revoked, or there could be a request for the Ports Authority to enhance the documentation supporting the decision,” Marchewka stated. „We are not taken aback by the complaints and appeals. We are aware that we are engaged in a struggle against those who resist the advancement of our ports,” he emphasized.
When questioned about who this opponent might be, he referenced German media reports identifying Świnoujście as a significant competitor. The deputy minister evaluated that „the significance of Polish ports is on the rise.” He pointed out that container transshipment is increasing annually, having surpassed 3.3 million TEU (a unit of capacity equivalent to a twenty-foot container) last year.
The revenue from taxes collected at ports (customs, excise duty, VAT) reached PLN 56 billion, with PLN 40 billion from the Port of Gdańsk, home to the largest container terminal in the Baltic Sea.
„The terminal will be constructed”
„The container terminal in Świnoujście will indeed be built, whether anyone approves or not,” Marchewka asserted. He indicated that the world’s largest container vessels will be docking on the „west coast,” and Poland „will capture an increasingly larger share of the regional transport market.”
The Deputy Minister highlighted that the Provincial Administrative Court has only suspended the enforcement of the environmental decision for the terminal, not the entire project. Marchewka reminded that a significant portion of the preparatory tasks for the investment in Świnoujście has been completed.
– Last year we accomplished substantial documentation work: soil assessments for road and rail infrastructure, ferromagnetic examinations of the seabed, and a functional and operational program for the approach track – Marchewka detailed in an interview with PAP.
