Court Halts Development on Unique Danube-Side Land Reserved for a Future Nature Reserve

The Supreme Court of Ukraine has upheld decisions of all lower courts and stopped the construction of a multimodal terminal on 11 hectares of environmentally valuable land in Odesa region.
The Renyi City Council had unlawfully transferred the land — worth nearly UAH 65 million — without the mandatory land auction and without approval from the competent national authority.

These plots were reserved back in 1993 for the creation of the "Prydanube Forests" nature reserve and are home to rare species such as the white-tailed eagle, eagle owl, wildcat, ermine, and several bat colonies.

The Supreme Court ruled the land transfer agreement invalid and ordered the land to be returned to state ownership.

IDR Comment

The Institute of Danube Research welcomes this decision as a significant milestone in environmental protection in the Ukrainian Danube region. It reinforces the priority of ecological safety over private development interests on sensitive natural territories strengthens the legal foundation for creating the “Prydanube Forests” reserve, an essential element of the Lower Danube ecological network, aligns Ukraine’s environmental policy with EU standards, especially regarding the safeguarding of cross-border ecosystems.

Protecting the Prydanube forests is vital for the ecological stability of the entire Danube macro-region.