“We will defend Turów – it is our energy source, but not at the expense of the environment of the people living on the Czech side,” said Donald Tusk. He said the Polish Energy Group would provide the Czechs with “full information” on the issue. The Turów mine may be closed in 2026.
Polish-Czech intergovernmental consultations took place in Prague, in which Donald Tusk and Petr Fiala participated. During a joint press conference, government leaders were questioned about the Turów power plant issue.
The Czech Prime Minister said that it was agreed during the meeting that Poland would provide data on Turów, which the Czech Republic had already requested. Prime Minister Tusk confirmed that PGE would soon provide full information to the Czech side.
Tusk called the Turów issue a matter of “misunderstandings and unnecessary politics”.
He stated that Poland would defend Turów because “it is our energy source.” However, he assured that this cannot be at the expense of the environment of the people living on the Czech side.
READ ALSO: Consultations took place between the Polish-Czech government. Tusk claims that he closed the dispute over Turów with one meeting
What about Tuów?
Prime Minister Fiala said that the problem regarding “fundamental issues” was resolved at the beginning of his term, when an agreement on this issue was signed – in accordance with the agreement, the Polish side completed, among other things: a groundwater barrier preventing further outflow from the Czech territory must be avoided.
The Turów coal-fired thermal power plant is located in Bogatynia, at the intersection of the borders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany.
In May 2021, Judge Rosario Silve de Lapuerta, Vice President of the CJEU, single-handedly ordered the suspension of coal mining at the Turów mine. This happened after a complaint from the Czechs who had environmental concerns about its operation. Representatives of the then opposition, including: PO Vice President Rafał Trzaskowski and the leader of Poland 2050 Szymon Hołownia wanted the Polish government to obey the CJEU and close the mine, but Morawiecki’s government did not do this due to the employment and the energy crisis. Although the PiS government signed an agreement with the Czech Republic, fines amounting to millions were imposed every day.
A total of 68.5 million euros in fines were collected for the period from September 20, 2021 to February 3, 2022.
In March, the Provincial Administrative Court decided that the Turów mine will not be allowed to extract coal from 2026 based on the principles outlined by GDOŚ in the environmental decision. The decision did not include a Polish-Czech agreement on environmental protection. The National Public Prosecution Service has not filed an appeal in cassation against the judgment of the Provincial Administrative Court, which questioned the environmental decision regarding coal mining.
READ ALSO: The EC and the CJEU failed to liquidate the Turów mine, but the Tusk government still wants to do it
koa/PAP
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.