Poland is stepping up to protect farmers fielding complaints from disgruntled neighbors about the smells coming from pig farming.

Polish Minister of Agriculture Stefan Krajewski plans to introduce legislation to protect farmers from lawsuits related to odor or noise, said ministry spokesperson Renata Kania-Miętusiewicz. It’s a reaction to a 2012 lawsuit filed by neighbors upset with the smell and antisocial working hours of Szymon Kluka’s 65-hectare farm, which holds 360 pigs.

The Polish Supreme Court in May upheld a verdict requiring that Kluka pay a 110,000 złotys (€26,000) penalty and take action to reduce the “unbearable” smell of his farm.

Those measures include requirements that the farmer not work in the evenings or during holidays, that he only spread manure during certain weather conditions, and that he plant a hedge around his farm.

“I’ve lived here for generations — from my grandfather and great-grandfather. They are the ones who moved here,” Kluka told agricultural news site Rolnicy, referring to the plaintiffs.

Krajewski, who took over the ministry in last month’s government reshuffle, is a member of the farmer-friendly conservative Polish People’s Party, part of the ruling coalition. He called the ruling “erroneous,” complaining it doesn’t reflect the realities of running an agricultural business.

“The character of rural areas is changing,” Krajewski told Poland’s RMF FM radio station. “There are more and more new residents in rural areas, and sometimes they do not accept the nuisances associated with agricultural production. Our task is to protect the interests of farmers. Noise, night work during harvest time, and odors are inextricably linked to rural areas and agricultural activities.”

As well as pledging the new bill, Krajewski also met Kluka in late July to show his support, stating that his political party would cover 80,000 złotys of the fine.

This may not be the end of the case. Krajewski’s ministry said he has spoken to both Poland’s minister of justice and the country’s human rights commissioner about filing an extraordinary complaint — a legal mechanism introduced in Poland’s controversial legal reform in 2017 — which allows the Supreme Court to reopen a case.

Kluka is continuing to farm but said he’s worried about being hit with another lawsuit, something he said could also affect other farmers in his area raising pigs, chickens and cattle.

“Sometimes one also begins to doubt whether it is worth continuing to struggle, living in constant fear: Will someone call the police again, report the matter to the environmental protection authorities, file another complaint?” he told the farming portal.

Poland is one of the EU’s larger pig producers, with almost 12 million animals. It is also the bloc’s largest chicken producer, responsible for about a quarter of the market.