At the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, the Czech government decided to refer a complaint against Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in connection with the expansion of the lignite mine Turów. Prague will try to suspend production as a precautionary measure

The main reason for the announced complaint is, according to the ministries of foreign affairs and the environment, the negative impact of the mine on border regions, where the groundwater level has decreased.

"For a long time I have been trying to resolve this dispute without the participation of the judiciary," the head of Czech diplomacy Tomasz Petrziczek said.

He added that ten days ago the negotiations in Warsaw did not go his way.

The complaint is directly related to the violation of the rights of Czech citizens who could not participate in the procedure for issuing a permit for the extension of the mine or in the judicial review of this decision. Poland also did not provide the Czech side with the necessary documents related to the extraction and did not take into account its environmental impact assessment.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tribunal will consider the application for interim measures within a few weeks. Until the ruling is given, the dispute may be resolved by mutual agreement of both parties. Poland will be able to comment on the complaint itself in writing. The advocate general of the CJEU should issue opinions after the oral part of the procedure. the judgment may be issued in about a year.

(PAP)