Poland seeks allies against new EU climate package

Poland is building “a coalition of countries” that object to the new EU’s Fit for 55 climate package which will affect less affluent EU citizens, Piotr Müller, the Polish government spokesperson said.

The “Fit for 55” package’s goal is to update the EU’s 2030 climate and energy laws to reflect the 55 percent net emissions reduction target that the EU set for 2030. Adjusting to it will require investments estimated at around EUR 500 billion a year by 2030, which means an additional EUR 350 billion more when compared to the cost of a previously adopted EU climate programme for 2011-2020.

“We are now building a coalition of countries that oppose some of these solutions as they shift the burden of the energy transformation to less affluent people,” the spokesman told TVP INFO, public TV broadcaster.

According to Mr Müller, under Fit for 55, the “top of the class” countries should reduce emissions in such a way that the European Union achieves its climate goal. “Let Germany reduce [its emissions] to zero in 2030,” he emphasised.

“The Fit for 55 package is now a gigantic negotiating field, because every detail matters... brings a few percentage points of reduction. Some want the reduction from agriculture, some from fossil fuels, some from transport, housing, heating,” he added.

Poland would take every possible step in Brussels and Poland to protect Poles against the effects of the wrong policy served by the European Commission, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin stressed on Wednesday in the lower house of parliament.

“We will do everything we can to prevent the Fit for 55 package from entering into force,” he added.