Efficient protection of the environment and improvement of the use of coal as a clean energy source
Article 6
1. Research projects shall seek to minimise the impact of mining operations and the use of coal in the Community on the atmosphere, water and the surface within the framework of an integrated management strategy with respect to pollution. As the Community coal industry is undergoing constant restructuring, the research shall also be geared towards minimising the environmental impact of underground mines destined for closure. 2. Preference shall be given to projects that envisage one or more of the following: (a) a reduction in emissions from coal utilisation, including capture and storage of CO 2 ; (b) a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, in particular methane, from coal deposits; (c) the return to the mine of mining waste, fly ash and desulphurisation products, accompanied, where relevant, by other forms of waste; (d) the refurbishment of waste heaps and the industrial use of residues from coal production and consumption; (e) the protection of water tables and the purification of mine drainage water; (f) a reduction in the environmental impact of installations which mainly use Community coal and lignite; (g) the protection of surface installations against the effects of subsidence in the short and long term.