What goes on in Poland on the 18th of September.
Morawiecki promises millions for fight against smog. Resistance in the government will be overcome
The government is announcing a fight against this negative occurrence – This is the first time since 1989 that the Polish government approaches this problem along with systemic, not particular solutions – said vice-minister of development Jadwiga Emilewicz.
– To me, the social, health and human aspects are crucial. Economic aspect is important too – said the minister of development and vice-prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki in an opening speech. He joked that in Poland everybody sees that the air „here is good, if you bite it”.
– In the meantime, the Economic Committee will not only discuss, but validate the changes I mentioned – declared the minister. He thanked ministers of infrastructure and energy for their understanding of the problem.
Only in Cracow couple of hundreds people die because of smog every year.
European Commission wants a hard mandate for negotiating Nord Stream 2 with Russia
According to EU Observer, the European Commission wants to present a „hard” mandate to the European Council for negotiating a controversial pipeline Nord Stream 2.
The mandate will have to be accepted by all EU member states. It is already known that Germany will oppose European Commission joining the preparation process of the pipeline that would be the second connection of 55 billion cubic meters capacity a year between Russia and Germany through the Baltic Sea. The European Commission stresses that it should not be built in a „legal vacuum”.
Also Gazprom is against negotiations – it states that the project is already subjected to EU regulations and should not be subjected to the third package that concerns inner EU gas pipelines. According to EU Observer, member states shall discuss Commission’s proposal „soon”.
Šefčovič: EU wants to keep Russian gas deliveries through Ukrainian territory
EU wants to prolong gas transit deals from Russia through Ukraine after 2019, when a contract between Russian Gazprom and Ukrainian Naftohaz expires – announced the Vice-President of the European Commission for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič.
– Prolongation of gas transit through Ukraine in 2020 is a priority for the European Union – said the EC vice-president during the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in Kiev.
Šefčovič expressed his conviction that Ukraine has a big potential to become an important gas hub and EU is ready to support its actions to save Ukraine’s important role as a transit state between Russia and the EU.
Russia planned to finish building Nord Stream 2 pipeline in 2019. The pipeline is going to be built on the bottom of the Baltic sea, parallel to Nord Stream launched in 2011. After putting the new pipeline into use, Moscow is going to stop the gas transit through Ukrainian territory. Poland, Baltic states and Ukraine are against building the pipeline.
