29 July 2011
Prague, July 28 (CTK) – The European Commission (EC) is interested in the situation in the Czech Sumava National Park (SNP) where Czech environmentalists are trying to prevent the cutting of bark-beetle hit trees, the Foreign Ministry confirmed the Aktualne.cz server’s report for CTK Thursday.
The server wrote that the EC’s question is connected with a complaint by an EU citizen.
The Foreign Ministry’s press department said it is preparing an answer in cooperation with the Environment Ministry.
Aktualne.cz wrote that the EC asked Czech diplomacy in June for an explanation of the dramatic situation in the most valuable protected zones of the park.
The server wrote that EU clerks, when they receive the Czech answer, will decide on whether to start proceedings against the Czech Republic in which a high fine or other European sanctions may be imposed on the country.
The server wrote that Sumava is part of the Natura 2000 European network of protected territories and that its protection is a priority of Brussels policy.
Aktualne.cz wrote that several Czech NGOs turned to the EC in the spring after SNP director Jan Strasky announced his plan to cut bark-beetle hit spruces on an extensive area, even in the most valuable places of Sumava.
The environmentalists demand that the hit trees be not cut in the locality in which forests were left to spontaneous development before.
They say the park is acting unlawfully when it is cutting the trees because it does not have the necessary exceptions for doing so.
Strasky and the Czech Environment Inspection (CIZP), however, say the exceptions are not needed.
The SNP authority has marked 4000 trees for cutting. It claims the trees must be eliminated within ten days, otherwise the beetle will leave them and destroy eight to ten-times more trees.
Police are again taking action against dozens of environmentalists in the Na Ztracenem locality near Modrava Thursday. Some 15 environmentalists have tied themselves to four trees.
