The court blocked the construction of the Svidovets resort in Transcarpathia in the interests of loggers – head of the community.

The court canceled the detailed plans for the construction of the Svidovets resort in Transcarpathia

The Supreme Cassation Court canceled the detailed plans for the construction of the Svidovets resort in Transcarpathia. Local residents and lawyers claim that the lawsuit was filed by sawmill owners with the support of eco-activists.

According to the heads of the Yasinya and Ust-Chorna communities, where the resort is planned to be built, local budgets have currently shrunk by 79%, there are no enterprises in the region and hence no jobs for local residents, so "Svidovets" was the only hope for economic development.

«Undoubtedly, this will be a blow to the community, because we are looking for income, waiting for an investor to replenish the local budget, for development. Unfortunately, now our budgets have fallen by 79%. The public sees the direction of the region's development – tourism. At least that's how the residents unanimously voted during public hearings. This area is ideal for the construction of ski bases and resorts. It would allow the region's infrastructure to develop and improve the economic situation overall. For example, the construction of "Svidovets" will provide 30-40 thousand jobs at the resort and adjacent areas and in various sectors, which will solve unemployment issues and fill the local budgets», – said Petro Kostyak, the head of the Ust-Chorna community.

According to the community's lawyer, the lawsuit was filed by eco-activists and local sawmill owners who have been cutting down forests in Transcarpathia for years, understanding that the construction of the resort would halt their activities.

«The whole absurdity is that the owners of timber processing enterprises have been profiting from deforestation for more than 20 years. And now they, together with eco-activists, assure that the construction of a new resort will destroy the Carpathians. However, they usually express their dissatisfaction on social networks, and neither appeared at the thematic round table nor at the public hearings», – noted lawyer Yaroslavna Ivanova.