The large Wolin East oil and gas field discovered off the coast of Poland, described as the country’s biggest such find since World War II, has raised concerns in Germany over possible consequences for the environment and tourism, Euronews reports.

The field is located about six kilometers from the Polish port city of Świnoujście, in close proximity to the German resort island of Usedom. Preliminary estimates indicate that it contains around 22 million tonnes of oil and 5 billion cubic meters of recoverable natural gas.

The field was discovered by the Canadian company Central European Petroleum (CEP) during exploratory drilling in July 2025 at a depth of more than 2.5 km. Company head Rolf G. Skaar called the discovery a historic moment for Poland and its energy sector.

Poland expects to begin commercial production no earlier than 2028–2029. According to the country’s chief geologist, Krzysztof Galos, within a few years the field could cover about 4–5% of Poland’s annual oil demand, helping reduce dependence on imports and strengthen energy security.

However, in Świnoujście there are fears that developing the field could harm the environment and the region’s appeal to tourists.

In Germany, environmental organizations BUND, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, WWF, and the citizens’ initiative Lebensraum Vorpommern have spoken out against oil and gas extraction in the Baltic Sea. They have formed an alliance demanding a complete ban on new oil and gas projects in the Baltic.

According to the organizers, by the end of July about 88,000 people had signed the petition against extraction. They plan to submit it to the European Commission in Brussels in September.

Environmentalists warn of risks to the fragile Baltic Sea ecosystem, including underwater noise, pollution, and possible oil spills in protected marine areas.

The head of Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Sascha Müller-Kraenner, called on the German federal government, the authorities of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, and the EU to jointly oppose the development of the field directly off Usedom.

The upcoming elections to the state parliament of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania may also be significant for the situation: environmental organizations are demanding that parties clearly define their position on protecting the coastline from the new oil and gas project.