Czech government approved aid for Paskov mine phase-out

The Czech government today approved state aid for a phase-out of the Paskov mine in northern Moravia, where mining will continue for three more years and the government will pay 600 million crowns for social programmes for miners. The aid is yet to be approved by the European Commission. It ensues from the agreement between the state and the New World Resources (NWR) firm, which controls the mine, that NRW will maintain the minimal average number of 1800 core employees. In the course of 2017, the number can be lowered to 1600. The mine´s owner, OKD, retains the possibility of operating Paskov after 2017 if it chooses so.