Phase I. Report: The Situation of Mining-Related Enterprises in Poland

Phase II. Analysis of the Consequences of the Phase-Out of Hard Coal Mining and Mining-Related Enterprises

In light of the accelerating pace of the energy transition in the European Union, which may ultimately lead to the closure of coal mines in our country, the Mining Chamber of Industry and Commerce wishes to draw attention to the effects of this process, both on enterprises serving the mining industry and on mining communities located not only in the Silesian Voivodeship, but also in the Lesser Poland, Lublin, Lower Silesian, Łódź, and Greater Poland Voivodeships. We wish to note that in the legislative solutions adopted to date regarding the industry’s situation, much attention has been devoted to mining (miners, mines, coal extraction activities, etc.), while overlooking the potential consequences of the introduced changes for enterprises that operate thanks to the existence of mines—those supplying products and services and using coal as a primary raw material for production. Meanwhile, these entities create many jobs, and their fate is inextricably linked to the condition of the mining industry.

In light of the above, the Mining Chamber of Industry and Commerce calls for systemic support for the aforementioned group of enterprises, which may be affected in the coming years by a crisis stemming from the difficulties faced by their main stakeholders—mines and coal companies.

We hereby submit, for your potential use, the first part of the Expert Report on the consequences of the closure of hard coal mines for the mining-related sector and the socio-economic situation in Poland, prepared by the University of Economics in Katowice at the Chamber’s initiative. The report confirms our concerns regarding the negative impact of the announced changes in the mining industry, both on the national economy and on mining regions. Therefore, it is essential to take proactive measures before the transformation begins to create real problems in mining regions.