Geopolitical issues as a major theme of the European Council's meeting

Today's assembly of the European Council was dedicated primarily to geopolitical and security matters, as well as electricity and gas price manipulations. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and other European leaders adopted a critical approach to Russia's actions – both in relation to Ukraine and support for Belarus. This country is also responsible for price manipulations in the energy market.

“In this area of geopolitics, it is worth pointing out that the message we have been trying to convey for several weeks has found its way through to all Members. This is the reason why I visited many European capitals. We have formed a proper way to assess the risks occurring on NATO's eastern flank. The awareness of these risks was unevenly distributed in the European Union. They are now being properly evaluated. The threats have been recognised as very serious,” emphasised the head of the Polish government.

Defending the eastern border of the European Union

The European Council recognised that migratory movements that are artificially induced and politically motivated can pose a threat to the security of the whole Community. All leaders condemned the political and anti-democratic actions that are currently taking place in Belarus.

“In that country, opposition activists fighting for democracy and freedom are being sentenced to more than a dozen years in prison. Prisons are occupied by representatives of the Polish minority and people who fought for freedom,” said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. “In terms of humanitarian support for all those who appear on the Polish border – there will be a joint operation aimed to assist migrants on our eastern border,” he added.

Poland will inspire its European friends to help Belarus in the pursuit of peace, stability and freedom. A positive conclusion of the European Council's meeting consists in the unequivocal confirmation of the seriousness of the situation on the border with Belarus. Members of the European Council are anticipating the implementation of mechanisms that will be supported by the European Union and aim to ensure a quick return of migrants to their countries of origin.

Severe sanctions against Russia and Belarus

The head of the Polish government announced a plan to impose severe restrictions on Russia if the country launches aggressive operations against Ukraine. They will be coordinated with our partners, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

“The conclusions of the European Council's meeting contain very important provisions that are rarely found in such documents, which are the regulations concerning NATO and the EU. As the European Council, we have recognised that NATO is essential to the security of Europe as a whole. This is a very important statement. I appreciate this message from our partners,” emphasised the Prime Minister.

Energy crisis – rising energy and gas prices

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki further highlighted the weak points of discussions held during the meeting of the European Council: “We have been debating on the energy crisis for a long time.  We are dealing with a price crisis in the electricity and gas market. Regardless of the circumstances, the energy market is structured in a way that allows the crisis to cover this entire market. This translates into inflation and affects ordinary residents of the entire EU.”

Poland cannot allow empty conclusions to be adopted, which is why the head of the Polish Government has demanded a reform of the ETS system. The prices of CO2 emission allowances have risen multiple times over the course of several months. They have resulted in increased costs incurred by consumers and producers.

“Various investors and speculators can operate in this market. Even those who do not own CO2 emission allowances. Recently, a number of entities have entered the market, making it very unstable. They have led to high price volatility. This is a dangerous phenomenon on the financial market,” stressed Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

In such a situation, Poland is calling for genuine and thorough reform of the entire system. The head of the Polish government held a long and challenging discussion during the meeting of the European Council. The Prime Minister assured that Poland refuses to let our families suffer from such a sharp increase in energy prices.

ETS system reform

The Polish government has appealed to the European Commission to introduce investments in gas and nuclear energy.

"The Commission is yet to present such taxonomy. We are requesting the adoption of investor-friendly rules for financing gas and nuclear energy investments," said the Prime Minister. Many solutions presented by the head of the Polish government were reflected in certain parts of the discussion. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to exclude financial institutions, banks, investment institutions and speculators from the market of the so-called EU climate tax. In this way, the market will include only entities that must have such authority in order to conduct business in accordance with legal regulations.

The European Commission has proposed and wants to include taxes on housing, heating and fuels in future climate objectives. The head of the Polish government has strongly opposed such solutions, which would result in a price increase on, among other things, public transport and goods.

“Today, the European Commission and the European Council are perfectly aware that there is a problem with the ETS market. There is a problem with the taxonomy and new taxes on housing, heat and fuels. Poland will defend its citizens and our economy," stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.