Coal miners continue blocking Russian coal imports

Coal miners from the Solidarity trade union continue protest at Kaliningrad border crossing: photo -PAP/Tomasz Waszczuk

Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz has commissioned a report on the situation in the Polish coal mining sector and has also asked for a speeding up of work on legal regulations for coal trade.

The announcement comes after a petition was presented by miners' trade unions during their ongoing protest at the Braniewo – Mamonowo railway border crossing, where miners had blocked track, making it impossible for a cargo train with Russian coal to enter Poland.

The petition demands that the prime minister “undertakes decisive activity aimed at limiting the dishonest import of hard coal from the Russian Federation.”

Another protest was started yesterday by workers in the Kazimierz-Juliusz coal mine, which is due to be closed down.

Andrzej Czerwinski, an MP from the ruling Civic Platform, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that the PM wants to speed up work on three laws, on energy, on fuel quality and on public procurement.

In his opinion, “they should limit uncompetitive coal trade, especially that of Russian coal.”

The government's press office also said that the prime minister wants to speed up work on regulations that introduce licences for coal trade and a system of quality certificates for the fuel.

The aim of the regulations is to cut down the shadow economy segment of coal trade and are also meant to help reduce the excess volume of coal, currently lying unsold in coal producers' storage areas. (kw/pg)

Source: PAP