With the ETS system in its current form, Europe has entered a dark corridor from which it will not be able to exit on its own, benefiting countries such as China and India. “I am pleased that President Karol Nawrocki has taken such a firm and clear stance. I hope that Polish Members of the European Parliament will present this position and that it will resonate across the European community. By introducing ETS, we are closing off the possibility of producing anything in Europe,” warns Andrzej Kosztowniak, an MP from Law and Justice (PiS) and former finance minister, in an interview with the Niezależna.pl portal.
As previously announced, today President Nawrocki, under the law on cooperation between the President and the Council of Ministers as well as the Sejm and the Senate, submitted to Donald Tusk a position ahead of the upcoming European Council, containing specific proposals for changes to the ETS.
“The ongoing process of revising the EU ETS system, which is to conclude later this year with proposals for amendments to the ETS directive, represents a moment of fundamental importance for the future of the European economy. After twenty years of this mechanism’s operation, it must be honestly acknowledged that its balance sheet for the competitiveness of European industry is dramatically negative,” emphasized the President of Poland.
“In practice, this system has led to a situation in which Europe imposes costs on its own economy that are incomparable to those borne by its global competitors, while having no real impact on global emission levels. Industrial production does not disappear – it merely moves beyond the borders of the Union, often to countries with higher emissions that are not subject to EU restrictions,” the President warned.
In this situation, the most rational solution from the perspective of Europe’s economic and strategic interests would be to abandon the EU ETS system – President Nawrocki argues.
“The ETS system is a straight road to a new form of dependence for Europe. If we do not abandon it, within a decade Poland and the entire EU will stop producing and will only import. Instead of building our own industry, we are creating economic servitude,” said presidential minister Karol Rabenda at a press conference.
“ETS is a road to nowhere”
“I am strongly opposed to ETS in the form it has taken over these two decades. Maintaining this formula will lead to extreme impoverishment of Europe, economic and social collapse. It goes against common sense,” Andrzej Kosztowniak, an MP from Law and Justice (PiS) and former finance minister, told the Niezależna.pl portal.
“Poland cannot function without coal. There is no point in pretending that this will change in the coming years. Even if we built a new nuclear power plant – or even several – they would not cover 100 percent of the energy demand of a country with development ambitions, and Poland is such a country,” he stressed.
“Regardless of whether we have gas or nuclear energy, coal will still have to be used – on the one hand as our natural resource, and on the other as an essential component of the state’s energy policy. By introducing ETS, we are closing off the possibility of producing anything in Europe,” he added.
“ETS is a way of shifting all production outside Europe’s structures. Countries such as India and China benefit from this. In this respect, Europe has entered a dark corridor from which it cannot exit on its own,” the politician continued. “It is high time to withdraw from something that harms us in every aspect,” he argued.
He also pointed out that coal-fired power plants operating in Europe often use technologies that are much newer and more advanced than those used in China or India, where several new plants are being built every day. “In Europe, technologies are used that are more environmentally friendly than in those countries,” Kosztowniak noted.
Niezależna.pl asked the MP how he believes Prime Minister Donald Tusk will respond to President Nawrocki’s initiative.
“Looking at how the government spokesperson reacted today, trying to ridicule the entire idea on one of the stations, I would not expect anything good from Prime Minister Tusk. Either he will follow the mainstream of politicians who believe ETS is a good thing, or he will try to ignore certain issues,” said the Law and Justice (PiS) MP.
“I am pleased that President Karol Nawrocki has taken such a firm and clear stance. The President has stood on the side of rationality. The moment Europe is no longer able to produce on its own and is no longer competitive with other parts of the world, it will decline into poverty,” he warned.
“I hope that Polish MEPs will present the President’s position and that it will resonate across the European community,” he concluded.