EU General Court Judgment in Cases T-200/22 and T-314/22 Poland v Commission

Wednesday 29th May 2024

EU General Court Judgment in Cases T-200/22 and T-314/22 Poland v Commission

(Law governing the institutions)

In February 2021, the Czech Republic brought an action against Poland before the Court of Justice alleging that the extension and prolongation of lignite extraction activities at the Turów mine (Poland) infringed EU law (see case C-121/21 Czech Republic v Poland (Mine de Turów)).

In the course of the proceedings, the Court ordered Poland (see OrderC-121/21 R, May 21, 2021 – press release 89/21), by way of interim measures, to immediately cease extraction activities at the mine until the delivery of the judgment closing the case. On September 20, 2021, since Poland had not complied, the European Commission ordered it to pay a daily penalty of €500,000 until it complied with the interim measure.

Poland has not paid the sums due in this respect. For this reason, in five consecutive decisions, the Commission informed it that it was offsetting this debt against various claims held by Poland against the EU. The principal amount thus recovered is

€68,500,000.

Poland asks the Court to annul the offsetting decisions. It relies, in particular, on the amicable agreement, which it concluded in February 2022 with the Czech Republic, resulting in the removal of the case from the Court’s register. The conclusion of this agreement means that the pecuniary effects of the measures ordered by the Court have ceased to apply retroactively.

The compensation paid by the Commission would therefore be unlawful.

Background Documents T-200/22

Background Documents T-314/22

Mittwoch, 29. Mai 2024

Urteile des EU-Gerichts in den Rechtssachen T-200/22 Polen / Kommission und T-314/22 Polen / Kommission

Zwangsgeld gegenüber Polen

Mit Beschluss vom 20. September 2021 verhängte die Vizepräsidentin des Gerichtshofs gegen Polen ein Zwangsgeld in Höhe von 500 000 Euro pro Tag, bis zum Zeitpunkt der Befolgung des Beschlusses des Gerichtshofs vom 21. Mai 2021 (siehe Pressemitteilung Nr. 159/2021).

Die Republik Polen hat die Beschlüsse der Kommission, die die Verrechnung der Beträge betreffen, vor dem Gericht der EU angefochten.

Weitere Informationen T-200/22

Weitere Informationen T-314/22