The Polish side refuses to pay for coal mining at the Turow mine, which is located near the border of the Czech Republic
This was stated by Poland’s Deputy Minister of Justice Marcin Romanowski, EADaily reports. Earlier, the European Court ruled that Warsaw has to pay 500 thousand euros for each day of coal mining. However, the Poles are not going to comply with the court order.
The conflict erupted in February 2021, when the Czech Republic filed a complaint with the European Court of Justice against Poland over the expansion of the Turow coal mine in Bogatyn in Dolnośl¹skie voivodship. Prague claims that the neighbouring state’s activities have left their farmers without water as well as harming the environment. There have even been accusations on social media that the Poles have “occupied” the Czech Republic by digging tunnels under its territory.
EU judge Rosario Silva de Lapuerta supported the Czech Republic in the conflict and decided to punish the Poles financially. However, Warsaw does not agree with such a verdict.
“This is not even blackmail! This is judicial robbery and theft in broad daylight. You won’t get a cent”, – Romanowski wrote on his Twitter page.
He was joined by his colleagues and compatriots. Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment Jacek Ozdoba believes that there are no legal grounds for enforcing the court ruling. Member of the Polish Sejm from the ruling Law and Justice party Kazimierz Smolinski added that the European Court’s punishment “will not break” Poland and it “will not kneel”.
Political analyst Aleksandr Nosowicz believes that the European Union has thus practically imposed sanctions on Poland. He attributes it to the fact that the country is governed by right conservative political force that disturbs Boissel.