Local groups and NGOs including Frank Bold, that is very active in the process, welcomed the Czech government’s decision to file a lawsuit at the European Court of Justice against the Polish government for the illegal operation of the Turów lignite coal mine, which has been dug right up to the Czech and German borders, damaging local water supplies for nearby communities. This is the first such legal case for the Czech Republic and the first in EU’s history where one member state sues another for environmental reasons.
Milan Starec, a Czech citizen from Liberec region (Uhelná village): “The decision by our government to file a lawsuit against Poland comes as a relief for us who live next to the mine. In 2020 alone, the groundwater level in the area fell by eight meters, which is double what PGE said would happen by 2044. Our worries have been replaced with fear. It is crucial that our government demands a cessation of illegal mining as PGE still refuses to accept its responsibility, while asking for permission to destroy our water resources and neighborhood for another 23 years.”
Kerstin Doerenbruch, Greenpeace Berlin: “Germany is also stepping up in the case against Turów, with regional representatives and citizens in Saxony bringing their own complaint before the European Commission in January. We now call on the German government to step up and protect people’s homes and the Neiße river by joining the Czech lawsuit against Poland.”
Anna Meres, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Poland: “Poland has acted recklessly and unlawfully by issuing a permit for the further expansion, so it is no surprise that this case has been brought to the European Court of Justice. Poland’s increasingly irrational support for coal expansion is not only harming health, water supplies, and worsening the climate crisis: it’s isolating us from our friends and neighbours, and robbing our workers and communities of better, more sustainable jobs. 78 percent of Poles want to abandon coal by 2030, it’s time to listen to them, to stop burdening border communities, and to plan a better future for all.”
Zala Primc, Europe Beyond Coal Campaigner: “People in surrounding countries are paying the price for Poland’s push to mine coal for decades to come with their health and water security. We call on the European Commission, which is responsible for ensuring that EU laws are implemented, to start an infringement procedure against the Polish government, and to become a party to the Turów case in front of the EU Court of Justice.”
More information about families endangered by mining in Turów can be found at https://www.waterorcoal.org
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.
The Frank Bold Society and the Neighbourhood Association Uhelná called on the Czech government today to be more consistent in its negotiations with Poland over mining at the Turów brown coal mine. According to both organisations, the government did not have enough information or time to prepare an agreement that would truly protect Czech interests. Moreover, the government has acted in a non-transparent manner by failing to inform the public in advance of the terms of the agreement being prepared, which should lead to the withdrawal of the action against Poland at the EU Court of Justice. The organisations have therefore drawn up a document with seven basic demands on which the Czech side should insist.
The European Commission recently introduced a draft of the revised EU ETS Directive which, among other things, proposes that 100 % of ETS revenues should be used for environmental measures. We welcome this idea but we’re also sceptical about how the ETS revenues are used in the Czech Republic. Therefore, we have prepared an analysis mapping the use of ETS revenues in Czech Republic and sent it to the European Commission as an input for the recent public consultation. The main conclusions are presented below.
