Poland's Wolin East oil and gas deposit faces German environmental protest

A large oil and gas field was discovered in the Wolin East concession off the Baltic coast near Świnoujście. The deposit, estimated at about 22 million tonnes of crude and 5 billion m³ of natural gas and valued at over 40 billion złoty, was identified by the Canadian‑owned company Central European Petroleum (CEP), which is backed by Norwegian investors.

German environmental NGOs, led by Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) and joined by other groups, have formed a coalition to block the project. They have gathered roughly 88 000 signatures and plan to submit a petition to the European Commission in September, arguing that extraction could damage protected marine areas, generate underwater noise, cause pollution and risk oil spills. Extraction has not yet begun, as the project still requires further permits and regulatory approvals.