Oil discoveries in the Baltic Sea: Usedom residents fear for tourism!

Oil discoveries in the Baltic Sea: Usedom residents fear for tourism!

In recent weeks, the discovery of a new oil and gas deposit off the Polish coast, near the popular holiday island of Usedom, has caused a lot of talk. A Canadian company, Central European Petroleum (CEP), has discovered a large deposit during test drilling near Świnoujście. It is estimated that around 22 million tons of oil could be stored there. This not only raises questions about energy policy, but also about the future of tourism in the region, which is Usedom's main source of economic activity. Loud MDR Isn't this the region's first brush with the oil industry; Oil was mined here as early as the 1960s, always without Poland's consent.

There is great displeasure, especially on the German side: Environment Minister Till Backhaus from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania expresses sharp criticism of the planned oil and gas drilling. He fears that tourism could be severely affected by the possible construction of drilling rigs and the industrialization of the coast. Hoteliers and holidaymakers on Usedom are also concerned about the impact on the region's natural beauty. “An economic disaster” is Backhaus’ pessimistic verdict if the drilling plans are pursued further.

Historical and bilateral aspects

The historical perspective is also complex. In the GDR, oil was mined carelessly from 1961 to 1996, without taking the applicable regional agreements into account. The first deposit was discovered in Reinkenhagen, where today a museum presents the oil history of the GDR with around 2,000 exhibits. This past casts a shadow over the current situation, especially since the bilateral agreements between Germany and Poland state that a cross-border environmental impact assessment is a prerequisite for such projects.

In this context, information policy is criticized. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had not been informed about the current plans, which was met with displeasure in regional politics. Backhaus therefore calls for a clear statement from the Federal Government towards Poland in order to respond to the developments in the best possible way.

The view from Poland

On the Polish side, Deputy Environment Minister Krzysztof Galos sees the raw materials obtained through the discovery as a possible contribution to national energy security. “That could cover up to 4-5 percent of our needs,” said Galos. However, to fully realize the potential benefits, Galos emphasizes the need to pay close attention to environmental regulations so as not to underestimate the impact on the region.

Meanwhile, Poland's chief diplomat in Germany, Jan Tombinski, encourages people not to overestimate the situation, as there are no concrete support plans yet. However, the discussion about the drilling remains heated, and the citizens' initiative “Lebensraum Vorpommern” vehemently criticizes the industrialization efforts. Axel Kindler, a spokesman for the initiative, calls for a closer examination of the environmental guidelines.

Amid these disputes, the question remains: How will the region develop? The future of Usedom could be significantly influenced by the upcoming decisions regarding oil and gas reserves. One thing is clear: the dialogue between Germany and Poland urgently needs to be intensified in order to use natural resources responsibly on the one hand and to protect the main economic pillar of Usedom on the other. All parties are required here.