In mid-December, the European Commission acknowledged a large part of the arguments put forward by the Czechia in an effort to prevent the expansion and continuation of illegal mining at the Turów mine in Poland, that endangers the sources of drinking water for thousands of people in the Liberec region and, according to new studies, has serious impacts on groundwater in Germany as well. Frank Bold's lawyers, who defend the interests of Czech citizens, have long been involved in the case.
"We are pleased that the European Commission has heard our call and issued a reasoned opinion stating that Poland has violated the directives - a major milestone in this case. The Czech Republic is now in a stronger position on the road to the European Court of Justice. The link between the action and the interim measure to stop mining is crucial at this stage. Therefore, we provide full cooperation to all parties and collect the latest information on the impact of mining, which locals feel every day," said Petra Urbanová, lawyer at Frank Bold.
The Turów mine supplies fuel to the adjacent power plant and has a mining permit until 2026, which was granted in violation of EU rules, which has now been confirmed by the European Commission. At the same time, Poland has long declared that it plans to mine in Turów until 2044. The mine should expand to 30 square kilometers. An out-of-court settlement with Poland has not yet been reached.
More information about families endangered by mining in Turów can be found at https://www.waterorcoal.org/.
The European Commission, Parliament and Council reached an agreement for the new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) that clarifies disclosure obligations for large companies and listed SMEs, and mandates the development and adoption of mandatory EU corporate sustainability reporting standards.
The Czech government presented five key priorities it wants to focus on during the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, beginning on 1 July. The priorities include post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, energy security, strengthening European defence and cybersecurity, as well as the resilience of the European economy and of democratic institutions. However, according to Frank Bold experts, there is a lack of emphasis on the green transition - which is crucial for both energy security and economic resilience.
An unprecedented decision was made at the Municipal Court in Prague in the historically first Czech climate litigation, for which Frank Bold Advokáti provided legal expertise.
