A court in Poland has upheld a lawsuit by environmentalists against the Turów open-cast coal mine.
A regional administrative court in Warsaw on Wednesday annulled a positive environmental impact assessment issued in the autumn of 2022.
This was the basis for Poland's extending the concession for the operation of the mine until 2044.
However, the judges made it clear in Wednesday's ruling that their decision does not mean mining at the Turów facility must stop. The verdict is not yet legally binding.
Several environmental associations and the city of Zittau in Saxony had filed a suit.
In its ruling, the court argued that in the environmental impact assessment, the Polish General Directorate for Environmental Protection ignored the requirements of an agreement concluded between the Polish and Czech governments in February 2022.
This included monitoring of noise and groundwater levels.
According to the court, this agreement is subject to international law and compliance with it is therefore binding. The General Directorate for Environmental Protection had incorrectly assumed that the contract did not apply.
Zittau Mayor Thomas Zenker said the verdict represents a partial victory, but added that the city would wait to hear the court's reasoning before commenting in detail.
The city of Zittau is hoping for a new environmental impact assessment, Zenker told local broadcaster Radio Lausitz.
In the spring of 2021, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued a temporary injunction to stop lignite mining, but Poland failed to comply.
The court then imposed a fine for each day Poland failed to comply with the ruling.