The European Union’s top court has cracked down on Poland for cutting down large old-growth spruce trees in one of the largest and most intact forests on the continent.

Though an English translation of the ruling is not available, a press release on the case from the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg says that Poland ramped up timber harvesting in the Bialowieza Forest to curtail an infestation of bark beetle.

Environmentalists argued meanwhile that the policy was a thinly disguised play for increased economic activity, amounting to a government handout to logging companies at the expense of the ecosystem. They held frequent protests at the site, drawing international attention. [Read more…]