The Court of Justice of the European Union has ordered Poland to pay the EU budget a daily penalty of €500,000 because it has not ceased lignite extraction activities at Turów, in violation of an earlier ruling; Poland has refused to comply with the order, citing energy security concerns.
In May 2021, Poland authorised the state-owned energy group Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) to operate its Turów open-pit lignite mine near the Czech and German borders until 2044. The mine supplies a 1.5 GW lignite-fired power plant. The European Court of Justice thus ordered Poland to immediately stop lignite mining activities at Turów, following a lawsuit filed by Czechia over environmental concerns. According to the Czech side, Poland failed to consult neighbouring countries, breaching EU laws, and mining operations would drain water supplies in Czechia.
In 2020, coal and lignite power plants accounted for 63% of Poland's power generation capacity (31 GW out of 49 GW), and they dominated the power mix, even if their share is steadily eroding due to the increased penetration of gas and renewables (72% in 2020, compared to 95% in 2000).