EU to Launch Offsetting Procedure Against Warsaw - European Commission

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2022) The European Union is launching a procedure to withhold part of funds earmarked for Poland in payment of fines ordered by the EU court over Warsaw's refusal to close a coal mine, European Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari said on Wednesday.

"For the very first call for payment that the commission sent to the Polish authorities on November 10, the deadline expired yesterday, which means that the 45+15 day deadline expired. The next step in the procedure is the so called offsetting procedure," Ujvari said.

The Czech Republic filed a complaint over a Polish coal mine with the European Union court in May 2021, saying that the mining works affect the quality of water in Czech regions across the border.

The court ordered Poland to immediately stop the mining, but Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki refused to comply. In September, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Poland must pay 500,000 Euros ($585,000) every day until the coal mine stops operating.

Poland has been holding its ground, saying that it can not afford to close the Turow mine, as the country would lose 7% of its energy supply.