Ukrainian city of Lviv appeals to Polish PM over Polish firm's failure to build waste processing plant

The Polish company Control Process S.A. is disrupting the construction of a waste processing plant in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, deputies of the Lviv City Council have appealed to the Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk due to the critical situation, the press service of the Lviv City Council has said

The release specifies that the relevant appeal was voiced today, August 7, by Nazariy Berbeka, head of the temporary control commission on the activities of the Landscape and Communal Enterprise (LCE) Green City, during a plenary session of the Lviv City Council.

In the document, the deputies emphasized that the Polish company Control Process S.A., which in 2021 won the international tender for the construction of a plant for mechanical and biological processing of solid household waste, is not adhering to the terms of the contract and is disrupting the construction schedule. The company has already received EUR 29 million from the city. At the same time, Lviv has repeatedly met the contractor, extending the work deadlines. The contract itself will expire on October 4, 2025 – by this date, the Polish company is obliged to complete all commissioning work and put the facility into operation. However, today it is already obvious that this will not happen, the deputies state.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy stressed that this is not only about business relations between the city and the contractor, but also about the image of Poland as a whole.

"At the construction site of the plant in Lviv, the white-and-red flag of the Republic of Poland flies next to the Ukrainian one. Therefore, this is not only about the contract, but also about the business reputation of the state. We call on the Polish Prime Minister to intervene in the situation within the framework of national legislation. Lviv is ready to cooperate and expects Control Process S.A. to fulfill its obligations. This is a test for further Ukrainian-Polish economic partnership," Andriy Sadovy said.

Green City also spoke about attempts to obstruct Control Process S.A. other contractors involved in the project.

"This is the largest contract of a Polish company in Ukraine – over EUR 40 million, partly financed by an EBRD loan. This project has attracted the attention of the international community and is of great importance for the city community," the enterprise said.

The deputies call on the Polish Prime Minister, within his competence, to respond to the situation and influence the contractor. They also emphasize that the further development of Ukrainian-Polish economic relations will largely depend on the successful or unsuccessful experience of cooperation with Polish companies.