EC to issue Poland payment request over Turów coal mine near Czech border

The European Commission “in due time” will issue a payment request calling on Poland to pay penalties imposed by the EU’s top court in the ongoing dispute with the Czech Republic over the former’s Turów lignite mine, an EC spokesman said on Monday.

The European Court of Justice had ordered Poland to stop activities of the Turow mine near the Czech border. Warsaw ignored the order, and so the court on September 20 imposed a daily fine of 500,000 euros on Poland until it complies.

Czech authorities want Poland to halt the expansion of the Turów mine due to concerns about its impact on water and air quality, among other things. Bilateral talks have failed to result in an agreement.