The EU Commission website proudly proclaims that “cohesion policy funding is delivering €52.5bn in EU budget investment in climate action.” But the picturesque town of Trakai in Lithuania tells a story of well-intentioned biodiversity and green infrastructure investment nearly costing its old town one-fifth of its trees
Lithuania - where 'biodiversity funding' is cutting down trees
The EU Commission website proudly proclaims that "cohesion policy funding is delivering €52.5bn in EU budget investment in climate action." But the picturesque town of Trakai in Lithuania tells a story of well-intentioned biodiversity and green infrastructure investment nearly costing its old town one-fifth of its trees
The old town is part of the Trakai Historic National Park. Pointing at two tall, thriving trees, Andželika Kriaučiūnienė, head of the national park’s landscaping department, regrets that they were destined for the chop, merely because they are not of a protected species and obstruct lake view from some angles.
Public procurement data show that the technical project, drafted by Trakai municipality’s tenderer, envisages cutting down 451 trees and planting merely 132 saplings, mostly decorative, in their stead.
Experts maintain that saplings are no match for mature trees, which store carbon, support wildlife, and reduce flooding. Activist Ona Staniulionienė, who campaigns against the project, says, “It’s time to stop feeding those parasitic project implementers with European money.”
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