Statement:

As Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, I received with surprise the decision of the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw concerning the suspension of lignite mining at the Turów Mine. The social and economic consequences of ceasing operations at the Turów Mine and Power Plant would be a disaster for tens of thousands of residents of the western part of Lower Silesia, who work in the Turoszów Basin and are economically connected with the operations of the Turów Mining Complex.

The Turów Mining Complex plays an extremely important role, ensuring the energy security of Lower Silesia and the entire country. It is also one of the largest employers in the western part of the voivodeship. Thanks to investments carried out over the years and focused on environmental protection, as well as its strategic location at the meeting point of the borders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany, the Turów Complex is developing and supporting the economic development of the entire region. It should be remembered that mines are actively operating both in the Czech Republic and in Germany.

This extremely difficult situation, in which tens of thousands of Lower Silesian residents have found themselves, must be resolved in a way that takes into account the well-being of the residents of Lower Silesia and Poland’s energy security.

From the beginning, I participated in building a dialogue and developing a Polish-Czech agreement concerning the Turów Mine. Following the CJEU decision in 2021, talks between the Polish and Czech governments began with a meeting of the Polish-Czech working group in Liberec, which we organised together with Liberec Governor Martin Puta and which provided the basis for the work of government expert teams. The negotiations involved numerous meetings in both Poland and the Czech Republic—including at the Turów Mine, in Prague, Warsaw, Liberec and Hrádek nad Nisou.

After long and difficult negotiations, the prime ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic signed a final agreement ending the dispute over the Turów Mine. This was a success of the intergovernmental negotiations, in which I represented the local-government side. We also worked on a transformation plan for the Turoszów Basin and the border regions. We held talks aimed at establishing the Turów Small Projects Fund, whose creation was one of the conditions of the signed agreement. It covers environmental protection projects—including natural water retention and the implementation of cross-border projects that will connect the Polish-Czech-German Three-Country Region. We laid the foundations for a joint energy-transition strategy that we are all facing. The agreement signed at that time proved that a partnership approach and dialogue are the key to reaching consensus.

Just as then, our most important goal today is to defend the thousands of jobs at the Turów Mine and Power Plant and, consequently, throughout the western part of Lower Silesia.

I believe that, using the legal avenues available within the Polish judicial system and pursuing an appeal, decisions will be made that will allow the Turów Mine to continue operating, while the residents of Lower Silesia will be safe and secure in their jobs.

Cezary Przybylski
Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship