A coalition of environmental groups in the Czech Republic has formally lodged a complaint with the European Commission, accusing the Czech government of neglecting its duty to enforce EU environmental standards at the Počerady coal-fired power plant. The facility, which is the largest contributor of mercury emissions in the country, has been operating without specific limits for mercury emissions since August 2024, after a court ruling annulled its previous exemption from EU regulations.

The court declared the exemption unlawful, stating that it posed a significant environmental threat. 

The ruling pointed out that the plant’s operator had not adhered to the necessary legal procedures for obtaining the exemption. Despite this, Czech authorities have not enforced the required emission limits on the operator. Environmental organizations such as Frank Bold, Greenpeace, and Hnutí Duha argue that this failure violates the EU’s industrial emissions directive.

The regional authority responsible for emission regulations commented that it is currently reviewing the situation and is waiting for further documentation from the plant’s operator.

In response, Sev.en Energy, the operator of Počerady, defended its position, noting that mercury emission reduction remains a particularly challenging and prolonged process. The company pointed out that while the plant meets 23 out of 24 of the EU’s strict emission standards, addressing mercury emissions involves selecting the appropriate technology and ensuring it is properly tested and fine-tuned. As a result, the operator, like others, had requested an exemption due to the complexity of the task.

Czech environmental groups have raised concerns that this situation could set a dangerous precedent, allowing power plant operators to exploit the authorities’ leniency and delay compliance with emission standards by requesting exemptions.