Poland fined over refusal to stop mining activity close to Czech border

Poland has been ordered to pay the European Commission €500,000 for each day it continues to extract lignite at the Turów mine near the border with the Czech Republic, the Court of Justice of the European Union said on Monday. The Czech Republic is suing Poland over the mine's expansion and the EU court recently ordered Warsaw to cease extraction activities at the mine for the duration of the lawsuit. Poland ignored the ruling and says it will not close down the mine since such a move would have negative consequences for the energy security of millions of Poles. The Czech authorities, who are concerned about loss of underground water and environmental pollution on the Czech side of the border, have welcomed the verdict.