The monograph ‘The Disputed Białowieża Forest. Legal Remedies for the Protection of Cross-border Properties’ has been published in one of the largest and most prestigious academic publishing houses in the world (BRILL / Nijhoff). Professor Maciej Perkowski and Wojciech Zoń, M.A. from the Faculty of Law of the University of Bialystok are authors of this monograph, and Professor Przemysław Saganek from the Institute of Legal Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences is the co-author.

The authors have comprehensively researched and described the Polish dispute over the protection model of the Białowieża Forest, which has been internationalised. They referred to the dispute in a constructive and interdisciplinary way, not limiting to express concern of protection of the Białowieża Forest based on standard legal remedies.

– I remember that when I began to take an interest in the dispute arising from the gradation of the European spruce bark beetle in the Białowieża Forest, there were some questions whether I was not involved in some kind of a political campaign. At that time, I replied with confidence that unfortunately legal implications of this dispute would surprise us. This has also happened. The natural confusion of the dispute as a result of the increased public debate has challenged lawyers to establish how things are and how they should be, and based on experience to propose legal solutions not only for the Białowieża Forest, but also for other priceless natural cross-border assets – says Professor Maciej Perkowski.

The authors conclude that in the case of unique and priceless natural cross-border assets, appropriate individual solutions in a form of an agreement which is open to many public entities (interested states, international organisations and even socially responsible private corporations) should be applied.

– Dealing with the principle of good neighbourhood in the international law, I came across an exceptional case study which is still evolving. I bet it will be a long time before good neighbourhood prevails in the Białowieża Forest, points out Wojciech Zoń, and Professor Perkowski adds: In my opinion, it is the Białowieża Forest that will be the beginning of the future normalisation of Polish-Belarusian relations, however unreal it may look today.

The academic publishing house BRILL / NIJHOFF, where the monograph ‘The Disputed Białowieża Forest. Legal Remedies for the Protection of Cross-border Properties’ was published, was included in the ministerial list of publishing houses publishing peer-reviewed scientific monographs, at level II (300 points in the case of social sciences).

The publication is available on the publisher's website BRILL / NIJHOFF: https://brill.com/view/title.