164 accepted the statute of ICE-CMM Poland. The official inauguration of the Centre's activities took place in Katowice on 17 August 2017. The ceremony was attended by invited guests from Poland and abroad, including people who contributed to the establishment of the Centre, potential partners and representatives of the mining industry. Shortly after, in the fall of 2017, a second Center of Excellence for Coal Mine Methane in China was established. Both Centers cooperate with each other and exchange experiences on the occasion of frequent joint meetings. ICE-CMM Poland operates as a structured industry–research platform enabling rapid validation and deployment of methane mitigation technologies. The general area and principles of ICECMM Poland's activities have been included in the mandate of the Group of Experts on CMM&JT, the provisions contained in the MoU agreements and in the approved statute. The Centre works closely with the Group. Every year, it submits a plan of its activities for the next year and also a report on its activities for the previous year. Both the plan and the report are subject to evaluation and must be approved by the Group, which is confirmed in official documents published after the end of the annual meeting. The Centre is supported by membership fees paid by associated companies and institutions. The management of current activities is carried out by the Presidium. It consists of one person from each company. As mentioned, the objectives and areas of activity of ICE-CMM Poland are based on the mandate of the Expert Group on CMM&JT, the provisions included in the MoU agreements and the Statute. These include, but are not limited to: • carrying out concrete and results-oriented activities to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from coal mines through methane recovery and utilization, • cooperation with international organizations and initiatives promoting the reduction of greenhouse gases, • sourcing and collecting relevant case studies and best practices in sustainable CMM management, • organizing training and visits of CMM practitioners for interested UN Member States, • organization of training in the field of best practices, • conducting research in their fields, including in cooperation with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, • collaborating with the CMM community, civil society, mining associations, and policymakers to raise awareness and challenges in the mining sector. In the more than 10-year history of ICE-CMM Poland, there have been several changes in the composition of the companies and institutions that constitute them. This was primarily related to the area of activity and goals set by individual member companies. In the initial stage of its activity, the Centre was formed by the four entities mentioned above, i.e. the Central Mining Institute-National Research Institute, the Polish Oil and Gas Company, the Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute and the Oil and Gas Institute-National Research Institute. Such a line-up was primarily related to the main area of activity – Coal Bed Methane. In 2016-2019, PGNiG S.A. and PGI-NRI carried out a major GEO-METAN project related to the pre-exploitation of methane from coal seam. All entities associated with the Centre at that time took part in the research and implementation project. Due to the policy of moving away from fossil fuels implemented by the European Union, this project has not been completed, although the results of some of the work carried out can certainly be considered
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