NGOs call to address the impacts of lignite mining on water in the Oder river basin
CCB • June 2, 2021
On June 8th, the International Commission for the Protection of the Oder River (ICPO) will meet to discuss the updates of the international River Basin Management Plan.
CCB, European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and partner NGOs are calling on the ICPO, the Ministries of Water and the Water Directors of the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland, to take the necessary measures to protect the river from the disruptive impacts of lignite mining, with a joint letter.
Key messages and facts
- The Oder river basin water status is far from good: less than 40% of the surface water bodies are in good chemical status, and not even 20% are in good ecological status
- The EU Water Framework Directive requires the river basin to reach good water status by 2027, but too many exemptions to polluters – including lignite mines – are jeopardising this objective
- The national and international River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) are a key opportunity to revert this trend, protect and restore the Oder waters and basin
- The impacts of lignite mining are tackled in the upcoming river basin management plans and strategies, with a special focus on:
- Preventing lignite mines pressure on water bodies
- Implementing the ‘polluter pays principle’ to hold polluters accountable
- Cutting pollution at source
- Stopping the abuse of exemptions
- Have your say in the public consultation on the Oder RBMP
Failure to implement EU fisheries law, not gaps in the policy itself, has pushed the Baltic Sea to the brink. Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) urges immediate action to rebuild Baltic fish populations and restore ecosystems.
Brussels, 30 March 2026 - Today, Fisheries Ministers from EU Member States meet with the European Commission for the AGRIFISH Council. On this occasion, Oceana, BLOOM, ClientEarth, Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Seas At Risk and WWF EU, handed a symbolic ''Pandora’s Box'' to the EU Commissioner Costas Kadis, sending a clear message as the European Commission prepares its 2026 evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The box represents the risks of revising EU’s main fishery policy framework: once opened, competing demands from Member States, industry, small-scale fishers, and coastal communities could quickly spiral into division, regulatory delays and uncertainties. This would put at risk the hard-won progress made in restoring Europe’s fish populations and improving the profitability of the fishing sector. NGOs urge decision makers to build on the progress made to date and to prioritise the full and timely implementation of the existing rules. Reopening the CFP and its related provisions would undermine ocean health and the long-term future of Europe’s fishing communities. '' Europe's fisheries policy is facing a credibility test. The law is already there. The tools to rebuild our seas already exist. What's missing is the political will to deliver. Overfishing should have ended by 2020 at the latest. Reopening the CFP would signal that missed deadlines carry no consequences, erode trust, revert the progress made, and put the future of our fisheries and coastal communities at stake ’’, said the NGO coalition. *** Oceana: Vera Coelho, Executive Director and Vice President in Europe BLOOM: Claire Nouvian, Founder and General Director ClientEarth: John Condon, Lead of Marine Ecosystems Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB): Ida Carlén, Co-Chair Environmental Justice Foundation: Steve Trent, CEO/Founder Seas At Risk: Dr Monica Verbeek, Executive Director WWF EU: Ester Asin, Director
