Last month, the Court of Justice of the European Union ordered Poland to immediately halt extraction at the state-owned Turów lignite mine in the southwest of the country, pending a final ruling.
The court said that mining was likely to have a negative impact on groundwater levels in the neighbouring Czech Republic.
After talks in Brussels with the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the Czech government had agreed to withdraw a motion it filed with Europe’s top court to stop mining at Turów.
But Babiš denied that, saying that the Czech side would not withdraw the lawsuit since no agreement had yet been reached.
Shortly after the decision by CJEU, the Polish government announced that it would not comply with the order to stop mining in Turów.
Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin said at the time that halting extraction “would be a disastrous blow to the energy sector and the Polish economy.”
The Turów power plant, supplied with lignite from the nearby mine, provides between 4 and 7 percent of Poland's power output.
The mine's license was due to expire last year in April, but in March the Polish government extended it until 2026.
(jh)
Source: PAP