The European Commission has announced it will retract on charges against Poland filed with the Union Tribunal as soon as information on abandoning the project of the Augustow by-pass through the Rospuda River Valley is confirmed.

Rospuda is on the Natura 2000 list of the most valuable nature reserves. Wildlife organizations warned the planned highway through its marshes would be detrimental to the habitat of a number of protected species, mostly birds. The European Commission has been long awaiting such a decision from Warsaw, said its spokesperson Barbara Helfferich.

Two years ago the EC charged Poland with ignoring EU directives and deciding to go through with the Augustow by-pass project despite experts’ opinions on the irreversible destruction the construction works would cause to  the Rospuda River Valley. The new highway along its altered route is to be completed by end 2013.