Poland again refused to pay EU fine for Turov mine
Photo: David W Cerny / Reuters
Poland retains its decision not to pay a fine to the European Union (EU) for refusing to liquidate the Turov mine. This was announced by the press secretary of the Polish government, Piotr Müller, reports TASS.
Thus, Müller denied reports that the Polish government is going to pay the EU the fines imposed by the EU court for refusing to stop coal mining in the controversial mine. To date, Poland has to pay the EU 200 million zlotys (about 43.5 million euros).
On October 28, the head of the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor General of Poland, Zbigniew Zebro, said that Warsaw should not pay the fines imposed by the European Court of Justice. According to him, Warsaw should refuse to pay the imposed fines both for sanctions against the Turov mine and for changes in the judicial system.
On October 27, an EU court imposed a fine of one million euros per day on Poland over Warsaw's refusal to abolish the disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court. The EU considered that the action of this body undermines the independence of the judiciary in the Polish state.
On September 21, the EU demanded that Poland pay 500 thousand euros every day for refusing to close the Turov coal mine. This amount must be paid by Warsaw before the official closure of the mine. According to the position of Brussels, the mine damages the ecological system of the neighboring Czech Republic.
