Polish ministries: The Czech Republic and Poland need in connection with Turów by Monday
Updates: 11/05/2021 18:21
Released: 5.11.2021, 18:19
Prague – The Czechia and Poland need time until Monday to come up with the details and compromises of a possible agreement on the Polish lignite mine Turów. After today’s meeting, the Polish Ministries of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwová and the Governor of Liberec Martin Půta (Mayors for the Liberec Region) agreed on this. The Minister of the Environment Richard Brabec (YES) did not comment on the meeting for the media. According to the Czech Republic, the mine near the Czech-Polish border threatens, among other things, drinking water supplies in Czech municipalities.
“We explained the position. I consider it important that we act again,” Půta said. “I think we need time for the details to be decided by everyone who decides now and everyone who is likely to decide in the future,” he added.
“We still need time until Monday to agree on the details, and then we will issue a final communiqué,” Moskw said. When asked what was left of the controversial issue, she replied that there was still some time to agree.
The issue of mine has recently disrupted Czech-Polish relations. Dispute over the period of notice of an intergovernmental agreement preventing its conclusion. According to the previous statements of the ministries concerned, it is not acceptable for the Czechia that at the end of the negotiations the Polish side came up with a request to terminate mutual agreements after two years, although it is to continue for another 23 years under the current permit.
Concrete talks on the agreement began in June, but were suspended in early October. The agreement should lead to the withdrawal of the lawsuit filed by the Czech Republic against Poland with the EU Court of Justice over the Turów mine and its expansion.
In May, this court preliminarily ordered the suspension of mining in the Turów mine, pending a decision on a complaint from the Czech Republic, which turned to the court in February due to the fact that the operation of the mine threatens, among other things, drinking water supplies in the Liberec region. The Polish government refuses to stop mining because, according to her, it would have a negative impact on the country’s energy security. Poland has therefore applied for the annulment of the May decision to suspend mining. On September 20, the Union Court of Poland imposed a fine of half a million euros (about 12.8 million CZK) for each day of continued mining.
Moskw said on Wednesday of the Polish station Polsat News that one meeting could be enough to reach an agreement. According to her, only a few things remain to be concluded to conclude the agreement. However, the Together for Water platform said in a statement on Thursday that the current version of the Czech-Polish agreement does not endanger the Czech water resources and is contrary to the interests of the Czech Republic.