Highlights
•    The EU Energy Council adopted conclusions on developing sustainable energy networks at its meeting.
•    Achieving the REPower EU target requires comprehensive sanctions. Poland has completely stopped importing Russian oil, diesel, and petrol, and its gas sector is also fully diversified.
•    Due to high energy prices, the EU is losing competitiveness. Poland has made good progress in moving away from fossil fuels and developing RES. However, meeting individual sectoral targets, especially for transport, may need to be revised. Therefore, further maintenance of sectoral targets needs to be considered.
•    Poland supported the issue the Czech Republic and Slovakia raised on the need to strengthen a fair transition.

During the meeting, the EU Council adopted conclusions on the development of sustainable energy networks. These conclusions are crucial elements in the energy transition process, and the final wording reflects the cooperation and compromise of the Member States.

We support the conclusions on the development of sustainable energy networks and hope they will be the starting point for further discussions on this topic. They are at the heart of the transformation of our energy systems. In the context of the costs associated with the transformation, we stress that it is crucial for Poland to ensure adequate financing and to seek new sources of it

- said the Deputy Minister.

In a discussion on REPower 2 years after its announcement, the Deputy Minister pointed out that Poland has completely stopped importing Russian oil, diesel and petrol. The Polish gas sector is also fully diversified. The Deputy Minister also stressed that achieving the EU REPower target requires the introduction of comprehensive sanctions.

I congratulate everyone on where we are. It has not been easy, but the RePower EU targets have now largely been met. However, there is still a lot of work ahead of us in this area. Poland has already made significant progress in diversification. It will be further strengthened by the subsequent sanctions against Russia, which will come into force in the coming months

- concluded the Deputy Minister.

The EU Energy Council also debated a summary of the European Green Deal in terms of implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy targets.

Ambitious targets for 2030 have already been set, and we should focus on achieving them while taking into account the competitiveness of the European economy

– informed the Deputy Minister.

The Deputy Minister also pointed out that the EU is losing competitiveness due to high energy prices. Poland has made good progress in moving away from fossil fuels and developing RES. However, the implementation of individual sectoral targets, especially for transport, may prove problematic. Therefore, further maintenance of sectoral targets needs to be considered.

Poland also raised the issue of holding Innovation Fund auctions in 2024 for non-biological renewable hydrogen production.

EU support for new hydrogen production must guarantee a fair distribution and a level playing field for all investors

– stated the Deputy Minister.

Moreover, Poland supported the issue raised by the Czech Republic and Slovakia on the need to strengthen a fair transition:

The transition has yet to be fully realised in regions where the fossil sector is essential. Its implementation will require stable financing in the following multiannual financial perspective

- concluded the Deputy Minister.