Czech-Polish talks on Turow mine hit the rocks

Czech-Polish talks on resolving the Turow mine dispute have hit the rocks at the last minute when almost all the terms of the emerging agreement had been finalized. According to the Polish environment minister, Michal Kurtyka, the two sides disagree on the duration of the contract, with the Czech side insisting on a clause that would make it impossible to terminate the agreement for many years. He said the Czech side was acting irrationally and its demands were “unheard of in international practice”. The Czech environment minister, Richard Brabec, said that in view of justified fears regarding the depletion of water reserves and pollution on the Czech side of the border the duration of the agreement was extremely important.