The conference was devoted to the priorities on which the European Union should focus in the new institutional cycle. During a panel discussion, the panellists explored major challenges currently facing the EU in the area of the common market, climate and collective defence policies. “More focus should be given to building a better internal market – it is one of EU’s greatest values, but it continues to be insufficiently exploited,” emphasised Deputy Minister Szymański.

Commenting on EU climate policy, Deputy Minister Szymański stated that common policy in this area should be built taking into account the specific character of energy systems of individual EU member states, which in the deputy minister’s view, is often overlooked in the debate on this topic. “We should remember that Poland, similarly to other Central European countries, inherited a certain energy profile, which is based on conventional energy sources,” noted the MFA’s secretary of state.

Discussing EU defence policy, Deputy Minister Szymański highlighted the need for close cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance. In the deputy minister’s opinion, common defence policy should complement the existing security architecture within NATO, and not duplicate it. “Member states should jointly raise their national defence expenditure. We also need to cooperate with the US,” stressed the deputy minister. He also added that it is vital to jointly define the threats coming from both the South and the East.

Furthermore, Deputy Minister Szymański identified migration as one of major challenges faced by the EU in the coming years. “Europe has to address this issue. We can do a lot together, but we need to exclude relocation, and other forms of supranational migration management, from these activities,” noted the deputy minister.

The participants of the discussion also included Guntram Wolff, Director of the Bruegel think-tank and Piotr Arak, Director of the Polish Economic Institute.

MFA Press Office

Photo: Tymon Markowski / MFA