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Polish PM calls for affordable energy at Baltic summit in Copenhagen

30.08.2022 20:55
Poland’s prime minister has said that Europe “must change its mechanism for shaping energy prices” amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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  • Polish PM talks energy prices, and increasing Europe's energy security at the Baltic Energy Security Summit in Copenhagen.
Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki talks to reporters at the Baltic Energy Security Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki talks to reporters at the Baltic Energy Security Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.PAP/Andrzej Lange

Mateusz Morawiecki made the statement at the Baltic Energy Security Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Hosted by the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the get-together also featured the Estonian head of government Kaja Kallas, Finland’s Sanna Marin, Latvia’s Krišjānis Kariņš and the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, as well as the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. 

The meeting was devoted to “strengthening cooperation on energy security in the Baltic Sea region,” officials said.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, the Polish PM stressed that “there is no real energy transformation without energy security.”

He warned: "The Kremlin has been waging an energy and gas war for years. Russia uses energy security as a weapon."

The Polish PM went on to say: “Today, Russia has wrapped a web of energy dependence around some Member States of the European Union. So we need to find solutions together to counteract the Kremlin's attacks.” 

'ETS should be suspended'

Morawiecki stated that for instance, the European Union’s current emissions-trading scheme (ETS) “should be suspended for a year or two” so that electricity prices can be lowered for households and businesses. 

He added: “The ETS system should be affordable. We can revert back to the system when we secure energy for all of Europe and bring back peace to Ukraine.”

According to the Polish PM, when it comes to shaping energy prices in Europe, there is an urgent need for short-time solutions, while in the long-term, Poland supports the development of offshore wind farms, the PAP news agency reported. 

Morawiecki said: “Poland is also planning huge wind farm investments, but right now, we need a stable supply of electricity, affordable electricity prices and a secure energy system.”

Referring to the Copenhagen meeting, the Polish PM told reporters: “Today's Baltic Energy Security Summit was an important step towards lower energy prices, greater energy security and an end to the war in Ukraine.”

Tuesday was day 188 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(pm)

Source: PAP, wpolityce.pl