Poland is content with the Brussels summit outcomes concerning the climate-energy packet. Our delegation achieved the most crucial thing, namely, the decision on this packet will be made in December this year yet it will not be taken by the member states’ Ministers of Environment in which case the so-called qualified majority is needed to accept the decision unfavourable for Poland but by the EU leaders during the next summit.

What does it mean to our country and Polish power energy? The direct influence on the final decision as it need be taken unanimously. Poland can put a veto on, if the directive on the packet does not take the idiosyncrasy of coal-based Polish power industry into account. Other member states do have the same dilemma therefore we would not speak alone on this issue. Neither we – the power engineers nor the politicians wish to negate the need to reduce CO₂ emission or reschedule the packet acceptance.

Allowing for the Polish specificity is the crux of the matter. We do dream of state-of-the-art, zero-emission power blocks. At present our actions are taking this course but this is a question of new technique, technologies and enormous funds – which will defer the effects of today’s decisions. I am glad that we are finally speaking with one voice: the government, politicians, power and mining industries.

By December our country has to work out a tenable, clear and above all substantive argumentation – and at this point one needs to refer to the expertise of scientists and practitioners. This time should also be spent on building coalition of states characterised by power industry similar to the Polish one which are facing the same dilemma. The EU summit is only the place where decisions are taken and these decisions need to be elaborated and negotiated beforehand on the international level.

For us the most important is the light which was lit for the Polish economy and power industry.

JAN KURP