PM says 'no' to shut-down of contested Turow mine

Poland will not shut down a disputed lignite mine as required by the EU Court of Justice (CJEU), as this would deprive millions of households of electricity, Poland's prime minister said on Tuesday. Mateusz Morawiecki called the CJEU's Monday decision to fine Poland EUR 500,000 for each day of the mine's further operation "radically aggressive and harmful." He added that Poland would undertake all available legal steps to show that the penalty was "disproportionate, arbitrary." According to the prime minister, the Turow mine provides fuel for a nearby power plant which is responsible for 4-7 percent of Poland's energy production and supplies electricity to millions of households.