It is shocking that German-Polish cooperation in environmental protection is working so poorly after this catastrophe. The fish die-off should have been a wake-up call – after all, we can only preserve the Oder river if we work together. This is why we must now do everything we can to ensure that such an environmental disaster does not happen again. The EU Commission must intervene in future and insist on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. In this context, a German-Polish transparent river monitoring system would be important: It should include a warning mechanism if temperatures and salinity levels exceed certain limits. We also must drastically reduce industrial discharge into the Oder. The river’s ecosystem has been severely weakened. The natural cleaning system has broken down because a large proportion of the mussels have died. The Oder river now needs some rest and time for regeneration. It also needs renaturalisation measures to help it recover. It does not need further construction measures that continue to damage its ecosystem. Germany and Poland must now take joint responsibility for the river.

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