INTERVIEW-Poland must change law or lose aid-EU commissioner
By Marcin Grajewski
BRUSSELS, April 21 (Reuters) - Poland must urgently upgrade its environmental protection laws to European Union standards or risk losing billions of euros in aid, the EU's top regional aid official said on Monday.
"Poland needs to do more, and to do it more quickly as far as environmental protection laws are concerned," EU Regional Aid Commissioner Danuta Huebner told Reuters.
The EU has earmarked 67 billion euros ($106 billion) in aid for Poland, the biggest ex-communist newcomer, in 2007-2013. Some of this money could be lost without quick amendments to laws concerning the environment.
The funds are intended to finance road construction, environmental clean-ups, industrial overhauls, job training, research and development and many other projects.
"... Their absorption depends on upgrading legislation," Huebner, who is Polish, said in an interview. "Time is running out ..., these are not the changes that can be introduced overnight."
A Polish government official, who asked not be named, said the government was aware of the problem and would seek soon to push relevant changes through parliament.
The Commission first warned Poland about the need to upgrade its laws in 2005, a year after the country joined the EU.
The then left-wing government made some changes but, according to recent EU audits, they were not adequate.
The Commission blocked some 800 million euros from a 2004-2006 budget because of the problem.
Polish officials have said the country has so far submitted many projects for EU approval in line with its environmental requirements although these have not been mandated by Polish legislation.
This has allowed Poland to make use of about 75 percent of EU funds for 2004-2006 but the bloc was growing reluctant to give conditional go-aheads for projects, Huebner said.
"Unless there is an acceleration on the part of Poland, the threat will grow" she said.
(Editing by Peter Millership)
