The ministers discussed also the implementation of the National Recovery Plan in Poland and Finland and maintaining competitiveness of the European economy on the global market.

We value the contribution of the Finnish investors in the Polish economy. Our country offers the attractive investment climate and support instruments, including in particular for the investments in the advanced technologies and creating new valuable jobs

– said the Minister of Economic Development and Technology Waldemar Buda during the meeting.

Minister Buda informed that with regard to the war in Ukraine and the need to gain independence from the Russian energy resources as soon as possible, Poland lays great emphasis on the development of renewable energy sources and nuclear energy.

As in the case of implementation of the green transformation, the pace of energy mix changes should be adapted to the capacities of individual Member States

– noted Minister Buda with reference to the REPowerEU pln.

Polish – Finnish trade and investment relations

Finland is the important regional partner to Poland. The recent years have brought the dynamic growth in trading between our countries, excluding the 2020 drop in consequence of pandemic. We have made up losses in the last year, in which the trading reached the record value of 4.36 billion euro. After four months of 2022, the recorded increase in trading is 26 percent.

The value of Finnish investments in Poland amounted to 1.6 billion euro and created more than 25 thousand new jobs.

Strengthening of the Polish – Finnish cooperation in green and digital transformation

Finland belongs to the leaders of innovative economic transformation. As pointed out by Minister Buda, Poland has succeeded in, among others, implementation of digital public services, and the Polish start-ups have developed many valuable initiatives. Deployment of digital technologies in financial services and e-banking is at the highly advanced stage.

REPowerEU programme – independence from the Russian energy resources

During the meeting, the Polish and Finnish ministers referred to the EC REPowerEU programme announced in March by the European Commission, aiming at speeding-up the transition towards clean energy and increasing the energy independence of Europe in the face of the Russian military attack in Ukraine.

The REPowerEU plan should address the issue of high energy prices and the needs of the transport and heating sectors

– stated the Head of MEDT. Minister Buda stressed that the plan should also take into account the nuclear energy being a stable and low-carbon energy source.

He added that Poland recognises the necessity of strengthening cooperation with the European partners to meet these challenges, including in particular with a view to implementation of circular economy and progresses in digitisation of the economy and public services.

Natural gas and nuclear energy in the European taxonomy

Poland and Finland are among the states supporting the adoption of the supplementary delegated act to the taxonomy for the energy sector (natural gas as transition fuel, nuclear energy).

Poland believes that withdrawal from inclusion of these two energy carriers of the economic sectors in the EU taxonomy would act as a great barrier in the energy and climate transformation of the European Union

– said Minister Buda.