Poland has not taken any measures to stop operations in the Turow mine, according to the European Court of Justice.

This is despite the fact that the country was already ordered by the European Court of Justice in May to stop the extraction of coal.   

Therefore, the country must pay 500,000 euros per day in fines, according to a ruling published on Monday.   

On Tuesday, the mine was still running.

Poland refuses to stop coal mining in Turow.

Poland emits the second most carbon dioxide in the EU  

Coal power means many job opportunities and accounts for over 70 percent of the electricity supply in Poland.

This leads to shutdowns such as the one of the Turow mine being met by resistance from people working in coal, says Jessica Jewell, who is an associate professor of energy conversion at Chalmers University.  

- Since Poland has gone out and said that it does not accept the EU ruling, I have a hard time seeing that it will have any effect, she says.  

Coal is the most emission-intensive fossil fuel, according to the associate professor.

Poland is the country that after Germany emits the most carbon dioxide in the entire EU.

The country produces more electricity from coal than all other EU countries combined. 

- We must get rid of coal power to save the climate, but unfortunately it is difficult for many countries to get out of dependence, says Jessica Jewell. 

Czech Republic: The mine affects the groundwater

The Turow mine is located in the southwestern part of Poland near the border with the Czech Republic.

The neighboring country claims that the mine deteriorates the groundwater and air quality in the area.

The Czech Republic and Poland have long been in dispute with each other over the mine. 

Despite long talks and many negotiations, the countries have not reached a solution.

The Czech Republic therefore chose to seek the assistance of the European Court of Justice.  

When the Czech government sued Poland in the European Court of Justice in February, it was the first time an EU country sued another in a climate issue, according to the European Environment Agency, writes the news site Euractiv.

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