Fewer roads need an environmental decision, but sections are added up
The Polish Council of Ministers regulation of 2 September 2026 exempts widening of hard surface roads up to 2 km and rebuilding up to 4 km outside protected areas from the environmental decision.
- The change concerns item 62 of the list of projects that may potentially have a significant effect on the environment, that is hard surface roads longer than 1 km and bridge structures along them.
- The exemption also covers rebuilding of roads and bridge structures serving electricity substations, provided they lie outside nature protection areas.
- In exchange a summing rule was added: for roads, the parameters of planned, ongoing and completed widening or rebuilding along those roads within 10 kilometres of the project boundary are counted together.
- The new wording applies to proceedings already opened and not yet closed; the regulation was published on 7 September 2026 and enters into force after fourteen days.
Source: Dziennik Ustaw 2026 poz. 1185