Polish Miners Gather For Major Protest Outside EU Office In Warsaw

Polish miners and workers of the fuel and energy sector are holding a mass protest outside the European Commission's office in Warsaw, a Sputnik correspondent reports

WARSAW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th June, 2021) Polish miners and workers of the fuel and energy sector are holding a mass protest outside the European Commission's office in Warsaw, a Sputnik correspondent reports.

The protesters are unhappy with the unclear future of the country's fuel and energy complex and fear job cuts in connection with the upcoming transformation of this sector, aimed at reducing emissions into the atmosphere.

Several hundred protesters brought with them the symbols of the Polish Solidarity trade union to the Wednesday demonstration outside the European Commission's office. They are beating drums, blowing horns and throwing firecrackers, according to a Sputnik correspondent.

Poland reportedly plans to close the last coal mine in 2049. Currently, coal is the main fuel for the Polish energy sector and protesters fear that the coming transformation will lead to an increase in the cost of electricity.

On Monday, the Czech government announced that it was going to ask the European Union's top court to fine Poland for its failure to suspend mining at the Turow coal mine, amid environmental concerns.

At the end of May, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Poland and the Czech Republic had reached a consensus on the Turow coal mine issue. As a result of the deal, the Czech Republic agreed to withdraw its lawsuit to the CJEU (Court of Justice of the European Union). Earlier, the EU's Court of Justice sided with the Czech Republic, telling Poland to stop brown coal production at the open-pit Turow mine.

Poland depends on the Turow mine for around 4-7 percent of energy supplies. The Czech government had claimed that Poland did not carry out a thorough environmental impact study and that continued mining was going to drain groundwater from its territory, threatening the drinking water supply in nearby Czech communities.

The Turow coal mine issue became a major trigger for the Wednesday mass protest outside the European Commission's office in Warsaw.