Stubs are seen after logging at Bialowieza forest, near Bialowieza village, Poland Thomson Reuters BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Continued logging in Poland's Bialowieza primeval forest would add to arguments against Warsaw in the EU's investigation on whether Poland is observing the rule of law, the European Commission said.

The European Union's top court issued an injunction last week with immediate effect ordering the Polish government to stop logging in the north-east Bialowieza primeval forest which is protected under EU environmental laws.

But Poland's environment minister told a news conference on Monday the logging would continue.

Asked if such defiance could accelerate the Commission's decision to move to suspend Poland's voting rights in the 28-nation EU, a Commission spokeswoman told a regular news briefing the EU executive was following the situation with great concern.

"So far we have only seen press reports on the matter, that the logging is ongoing. If it is confirmed that the logging continues to take place in the Bialowieza forest, the issue will be taken up in the ongoing rule of law procedure with Poland because complying with the decision of the court of justice of the EU is an integral part of EU law on which our very union is founded. Poland will have to explain its position in front of the court," the Commission spokeswoman said.

She said the Commission would seek confirmation of the press reports from various sources, including satellite images.

"If one of our member states refuses bluntly to implement what the court of Justice of the European Union, our highest legal instance, is saying, and this is about an order which is a legal order and has to be complied with by all member state, so this is very clearly linked to the rule of law which our union is founded on," the spokeswoman said.

(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski)