Polish Briefing: The European Parliament has the capacity to accelerate the gas directive

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What goes on in Poland on the 16th of January.

Kuźmiuk: The European Parliament has the capacity to accelerate the gas directive

Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, Member of the European Parliament from Law and Justice, explains how speeding up the work on the gas directive can affect the Nord Stream 2 project.

– The fact that the Romanian Presidency wants to accelerate the work on the gas directive is a big merit of our diplomacy, for a long time we „lobbied” with Romanians to make it happen. There is a chance that the „Romanian proposals” in this matter will be accepted in the EP, because despite the significant position of the Germans and other countries interested in the implementation of Nord Stream 2, the majority of opponents of this investment are in the Parliament – reminds the MP.

– Parliament will seem to have „spare capacity” because the work on the budget for 2021-2027 has stopped (it will be adopted at the earliest this autumn), and therefore a possible agreement on the trilogue of the Commission, Council and Parliament can be accepted on one from two EP sessions in March or last in April this year – says interviewee of BiznesAlert.pl.

The revision of the gas directive may lead to the subordination of Nord Stream 2 to EU law. If it becomes necessary to adapt the project to the regulations, it may be delayed. If it was not adjusted to the law, it could be blocked. A possible agreement in this matter would have to be accepted by the European Commission.

The draft National Plan for Energy and Climate in consultations

The Minister of Energy informed about the start of consultations on the draft National Plan for Energy and Climate (KPEiK). The document is to be adopted by the end of 2019. – I would like to kindly inform you that the public consultation process of the draft National Plan for Energy and Climate for 2021-2030 (KPEiK) has been launched.

The Ministry of Energy reminds that KPEiK arises under the obligation imposed on EU Member States and work on the National Plan for Energy and Climate is also going on. The document will present Poland’s actions undertaken to implement the 5 dimensions of the Energy Union, i.e. (1) energy security, (2) decarbonisation of the economy, (3) energy efficiency, (4) integrated energy market and (5) innovation. Due to its scope and content, the document will largely coincide with the scope of energy policy. The preparation of the Plan results from a draft regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on the management of the Energy Union.

– The document consists of three parts – strategic one and two attachments of an analytical nature. The first part – Assumptions and goals as well as policies and activities – contains, among others, goals for 2030 constituting a national contribution to the implementation of EU climate and energy goals in the field of CO2 emission reduction, development of renewable energy sources and improvement of energy efficiency. The document also indicates the policies and activities that are to lead to the achievement of the set priorities. Another element is Annex 1. Current situation and forecasts with existing policies and measures – it contains an analysis of the impact of already existing policies and measures (implemented by the end of 2017), i.e. Reference Scenario (ODN). The third part of the National Plan is Annex 2. The assessment of the effects of planned policies and measures – constituting the so-called Scenario of the Climate and Energy Policy (PEK) in the perspective of 2030, which was based on the conclusions of the analysis of the impact of the planned policies and activities – explains Minister Tchórzewski.