Czech PM: Czechia will not withdraw lawsuit over Turow

The Czech Republic will not withdraw its lawsuit against Poland, which it filed with the European Court of Justice over the expansion of the Turow lignite mine, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday. Following talks with his Polish counterpart, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Mr. Babiš said Poland had finally acknowledged Prague's objections to the expansion and wanted to reach an out of court agreement.

Prime Minister Morawiecki said on Monday Poland would not comply with the ruling of the European Union’s top court, which ordered Warsaw to immediately stop mining at Turow, because a stoppage would mean an energy disaster and consequently huge social problems.

The Turow lignite mine lies very close to the Czech border and the local authorities are concerned about impacts on underground water and environmental pollution.