(ANSA) - BRUSSELS - Poland has two months to ensure that all exploratory drilling activities are carried out with due regard to EU standards. If it fails to act, the Commission may take the matter to the EU Court of Justice. Under Polish law, exploratory drilling to depths of up to 5,000 metres does not require the environmental impact to be assessed beforehand. EU law however, requires that any project that is likely to have a significant effect on the environment, by virtue of its nature, size or location, be assessed beforehand, in line with the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

This exclusion from the scope of the relevant EU law is contrary to EU law, and this has been recently repeated by a European Court of Justice on a ruling delivered on 11 February.

The Commission sent a letter of formal notice about the matter in July 2014, but as the shortcomings have still not been rectified, a reasoned opinion is now being sent. (ANSA)