Riccardo Nigro, Campaign Coordinator for coal combustion and mines at the EEB, said: \u201cThis is a major breakthrough. We welcome the Commission\u2019s decision to stand up for the rule of law and for the basic rights of the communities that have been losing their water and homes to the Tur\u00f3w mine. The game is up: mining operations must immediately cease in Tur\u00f3w, and the Polish government should get serious about moving beyond coal and securing a just transition for coal communities\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n The court case was triggered by the Czech government in response to Poland\u2019s decision to grant Tur\u00f3w a licence extension to 2026, and mine operator PGE\u2019s request for a further licence extension to 2044, which was approved by the Polish government, despite the absence of a proper public consultation or environmental impact assessment as required by EU law. The mine has been operating illegally for over a year [3].<\/p>\n Back in May, the European Court of Justice ordered Poland to halt mining operations in Tur\u00f3w while the court processes the lawsuit, a ruling which the Polish government refused to enforce. The situation escalated last Monday afternoon when the Czech Republic requested the Court fine Poland \u20ac5 million euros a day for refusing to close the mine [4].<\/p>\n NOTES TO THE EDITOR<\/span><\/p>\n [1]\u00a0https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-czech-poland-turow\/european-commission-joins-czech-case-against-polands-turow-coal-mine-idUSKCN2DL1Y2<\/a><\/p>\n [2] Located in Poland\u2019s Bogatynia region, at the border with the Czech Republic and Germany, the mine is endangering access to water for thousands of families on the Czech side, and causing subsidence that could damage houses around the German city of Zittau.\u00a0https:\/\/meta.eeb.org\/2020\/10\/15\/save-our-homes-from-caving-in-town-threatened-by-coal-mine-urges-the-eu\/<\/a><\/p>\n