Poland has paid the agreed compensation in a dispute over Turów mine that lies close to the border with the Czech Republic and Prague has withdrawn its complaint at the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Polish prime minister said on Friday.
The leaders of the Czech Republic and Poland agreed a deal on Thursday to end a long-running dispute over expansion at the Turów open-pit lignite mine on the Polish side of the border, a row that reached the European Union's top court.
"The Czech Republic has withdrawn its complaint to European institutions and that is the end of this issue," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference, after Poland paid.
Under the deal, the Czech Republic said it would withdraw the legal complaint in exchange for compensation of 45 million euros ($51 million) for infrastructure upgrades and other environmental safeguards and pledges.
Czech leader Fiala, speaking in a joint news conference with Morawiecki on Thursday (Feb. 3), said Prague got guarantees an underground barrier under construction would work in protecting water sources. Oversight on the deal would last five years, he said.
"This deal undoubtedly brings advantages and benefits and results to communities affected (by Turów)," Fiala said.
Environmental and civic groups, though, have questioned the deal. Greenpeace said it set no limits to mining and doubted the planned underground wall would be effective.
The Czech Environment Ministry has said no conclusions on the wall could be drawn until it was finished being built.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24