Over the past decade, the Visegrad countries have continually restructured and downsized their Coal industries by reducing the number of inefficient mines in operation, cutting the labor force associated with coal mining, and increasing awareness of environmental issues related to the industry in line with EU standards. In Poland, the coal industry is one of the countrys largest industries and employers, but inefficiencies have resulted in large annual losses, spurring the government to reform the sector. In 1998, the government introduced a five-year (1998-2002) Hard Coal Sector Reform Program which reduced employment from 248,000 to 140,000 at the end of 2002. In November 2003, the government introduced a second program to further consolidate and reform Polands coal sector Program of Restructuring of the Hard Coal Mining Sector for 2003-2006. The program is closing inefficient mines and reducing employment on a voluntary basis. For those who voluntarily leave, the government is providing various benefits, such as retraining, assistance in finding employment, social hardship allowances, and early retirement pensions. The program also aims to privatize the countrys coal industry by 2006. In April 2004, the World Bank provided Poland with a loan of $160 million to support the countrys restructuring program. According to the Czech Republics State Energy Policy (Government Decision No. 211 to March 10, 2004), coal, particularly lignite, will remain the countrys primary energy source in coming decades, despite increased use of Natural Gas and nuclear energy. The government expects coal, including black (hard) and brown (lignite), to account for 30.5 percent of total consumption in 2030. In line with EU regulations, the government lifted quotas on coal imported from Poland and Ukraine, as of January 2004. The decision was welcomed by Czech steel makers, which now have access to cheaper coal, namely Polish. Prior to this decision, steel makers, such as ISPAT NOVa HUT, were required to buy a large portion of its black coal requirements locally. The Czech Republics coal industry consists of six companies: three hard coal (black) mining companies and three lignite (brown) mining companies.