In the year 1991 there was an important governmental restriction called spatial and environmental limits to lignite mining. The purpose of the restriction was to set boundaries to the lignite mining in order to enable the transition of the economy of the region and minimize social costs of closing the mines immediately.  At the same time the limits were also meant to protect the settlements close to the mine from being demolished in order to extend the operating mine. The governmental restriction was however contested later on by the mining companies. 

The town of Horní Jiřetín became a stronghold of the resistance to the plans of extension of the mining, because it is located on the edge of the Czechoslovak Army mine and its extension would mean the demolition of the town. In the year 2005 the inhabitants organized a local referendum, where 96% of voters voted for the municipality to protect the town from the demolition or relocation. Ten years after, in 2015, the government discussed a new strategic document, the State Energy Policy. The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed several scenarios of lignite mining, which counted with the extension of the mining limits. Not only inhabitants of Horní Jiřetín, but also the civic society and national NGO´s mobilized against the proposal through public happenings but also by collecting signatures under "Promise of civil disobedience in case of breaching the limits." About 3,000 signatures were delivered to the Minister of Finance and Minister of Environment before the government meeting. 

The government however decided to partially breach through the mining limits in one of the three operating mines in the area -  Bílina, where it did not require removal of settlements. The mobilization for keeping the limits also gave rise to the grassroot movement Limity jsme my - We are the limits. This movement argued against coal mining from  a climate justice perspective, and networked with international climate justice movement. In June 2017 it organized the first Czech international climate camp in Horní Jiřetín. During the climate camp participants entered the coal mine Bílina and thus blocked the operations for a day.

In the mine of Czechoslovak Army (operated by Severní energetická) was extracted 3,6 milion tonnes of lignite in the year 2015.

In the mine Bílina (operated by Severočeské doly) was extracted 9,4 million tonnes in the year 2015.

Expected reserves of lignite protected by the limits are 750 milion tonnes.

The overall lignite produstion of Czech Republic in the 2014 was 38,2 million tonnes.