Łukasz Czopik, chairman of the supervisory board of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW), has resigned from his position effective June 30, 2026. He will take on the role of vice president for compliance and operational continuity at Tauron PE, citing new professional responsibilities as the reason for his departure.
Czopik submitted his resignation to the JSW management board, which was announced on Wednesday. The decision comes as JSW faces deepening financial troubles, with the company reporting a consolidated net loss of 6.25 billion zlotys in 2025 and an EBITDA loss of 4.99 billion zlotys. In the first quarter of 2026, the group posted a net loss of approximately 615.9 million zlotys. Coal output last year reached over 13 million tonnes, while coke production stood at 3.2 million tonnes.
The departure of the supervisory board chairman is the second such change in recent weeks. In mid-May, professor Andrzej Karbownik stepped down from the same position, openly criticizing the role of politicians in the company’s failed restructuring. – Politicians decide how the restructuring of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa is conducted, or rather how it is not conducted. When I learned about all this, I told myself I would no longer take part in it – said Karbownik in an interview with wnp.pl.
Unions sound alarm over JSW’s survival
The deepening crisis has prompted action from trade unions. In mid-June, representatives of Solidarity, the Federation of Trade Unions of JSW Miners, and Kadra sent a letter to the Speaker of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Finance Minister Andrzej Domański, and Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński. – We are addressing you in connection with the dramatic financial situation of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa and the growing threats to the security of supply of critical raw materials provided by JSW to the European Union market, as well as the increasing risk to national security due to the inexorably approaching bankruptcy process of JSW – the unions wrote in the letter.
To alleviate the immediate liquidity crunch, the JSW general meeting in early June approved a loan of 850 million zlotys from the Industrial Development Agency (ARP). The financial aid, however, is seen as a temporary fix rather than a solution to the structural problems facing the coal and coke producer.
Leadership vacuum amid strategic uncertainty
The resignation of Czopik, who had chaired the supervisory board since 2025, leaves JSW without a clear leadership at the oversight level at a critical time. The company is struggling with low coal prices, high production costs, and the challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon economy. The departure of both Karbownik and Czopik within six weeks raises questions about the stability of corporate governance and the direction of the company’s strategy.
Meanwhile, Tauron, the energy group where Czopik is headed, is itself undergoing a transformation, focusing on renewable energy and grid modernization. His move to a role centered on compliance and operational continuity suggests that Tauron is prioritizing risk management and regulatory adherence as it navigates Poland’s energy transition.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Kamil Zajaczkowski / Shutterstock
