(Updates with Polish comments, Greenpeace spokesman) By Marcin Grajewski BRUSSELS, July 30 (Reuters) - The European Commission sought a court order on Monday to block the construction of a Polish motorway through a protected wildlife area which looks set to resume this week. The Commission asked the European Court of Justice to order Poland to halt preparatory work through the northeastern Rospuda Valley, which is known for its peat bogs and is home to rare plants and animals. The road would be a section of an international highway linking Warsaw to Helsinki via the Baltic states. "The European Commission has asked the European Court of Justice to take an interim measure to ensure Poland does not go ahead with the construction of a road that will cause irreversible damage to the Rospuda valley," the European Union executive said in a statement. Some analysts see the Rospuda dispute as a prelude to more conflicts between the EU and its new members from central and eastern Europe over the environment as they seek to upgrade some of their outmoded roads and railways. Warsaw suspended the construction of a viaduct over Rospuda until Aug. 1 due to a bird nesting season in the region. It wrote to the Commission last week, refusing to promise that construction work would remain suspended. Poland's transport minister called the Commission's decision "bizarre" and said the government would study the complaint before making a final decision, but was ready to go ahead. "Work on the construction is currently being completed in accordance with contract," Jerzy Polaczek told a news conference in the southern Polish city of Pyrzowice. Commission spokeswoman Barbara Hellferich told a news briefing it would be unprecedented for a member state to go ahead with such work in defiance of an EU order. "This is uncharted territory. We have not had a case like that before," she said. The Commission wants the work halted until the court delivers a final verdict on whether the motorway construction in the area is compatible with EU environmental laws. Warsaw insists it is breaking no EU rules. The area is recognised by Brussels as having special environmental interest, and has protected status under the EU's network of conservation sites. On Monday, residents of Augustow blocked a key artery through their town to pressure Poland's conservative government to continue supporting the project, saying it would allow heavy lorries to circumvent their town. But environmental groups say they will take action if needed. "We do not want a conflict with the residents, but we will intervene if we feel Rospuda Valley is in danger," Greenpeace spokesman Jacek Winiarski said. He did not elaborate. Commission officials say privately that building the motorway through the valley could compromise EU funding for the whole Polish stretch of the planned Via Baltica motorway, which could amount to hundreds of millions of euros. The section of the motorway through Rospuda is to be built without EU funds, but Poland hopes Brussels will co-finance the construction of other parts of the route. (Additional reporting by Darren Ennis in Brussels, Wojciech Zurawski in Pyrzowice and Chris Borowski in Warsaw)
