About: Poland
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Geothermal is the solution for the transition of coal mining regions
The preliminary ruling of the European Court of Justice that has ordered Poland to halt the lignite production at the Turów mine, and the subsequent announcement of Poland’s government that it will defy the ruling, have sent an important message...OpinionPromoted content
Large-scale hybrid electricity storage: innovation for decarbonisation
Ambitious climate targets being part of the European Green Deal are currently the apple of the European Union’s eye. The growing share of renewable electricity and at the same time the necessity to secure grid stability leave more and more...
EU Parliament threatens to sue European Commission over rule of law
The EU Parliament on Thursday (10 June) threatened the European Commission with a lawsuit for failing to use the bloc's new rule of law powers to hold back recovery cash from Poland and Hungary.
EU Commission joins Czechia in legal case over Polish coal mine
The European Commission has decided to join the Czech Republic in a bitter lawsuit against Poland over what plaintiffs say is an illegal extension of a license to operate the Turów coal mine near the Czech and German border.
Germany slams ‘hostage-taking’ of EU’s foreign policy
The EU should abolish unanimity in its foreign policymaking and not allow itself to be "held hostage", Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas said on Monday (7 June), after several incidents in recent months derailed the bloc's joint positions on a series of foreign policy matters.
State vs private: Europe’s mismatched transition out of coal
There is a growing disparity in the progress central and eastern Europe's regions have made to transition away from coal, often influenced by how willing the state is to rescue increasingly unviable companies. Some regions are beginning to close polluting mines while others plan to keep them open for decades.
‘Deadline elapsed’: MEPs vow to sue Commission over failing to apply rule of law regulation
The liberal Renew Europe group in the European Parliament pledged on Wednesday (2 May) to seek a majority in the legislative’s plenary sitting next week to sue the European executive for failing to apply a rule tying disbursement of EU...
Polish trial begins in Huawei-linked China espionage case
An espionage trial involving a former Polish secret services agent and an ex-employee of Huawei begins in a Warsaw court as some European states consider whether to exclude the Chinese group's equipment from their 5G telecom networks.
What can Lithuania and Poland do to protect Belarusian political refugees?
As many Belarusians flee their country and seek refuge in neighbouring countries, what can Lithuania and Poland do to protect Belarusians, write Monika Bičkauskaitė and Veranika Laputska.
The decision on who should lead the EU’s Warsaw office is crucial
The next Head of the European Commission in Warsaw needs to be a political heavyweight, argues Piotr Maciej Kaczyński.
EU fury with Belarus and the Turów coal mine dispute
This week, our podcast takes us to Belarus, where a Ryanair passenger plane was forced to land so the Belarusian authorities could detain one of the passengers, the dissident journalist Roman Protasevich.
Poland, Czechia fail to mend divisions over Turow coal mine
The leaders of Poland and the Czech Republic met on Monday (24 May) to discuss solutions to the dispute around the Turów open-pit mine in Poland, which could see the Czechs drop the ongoing lawsuit in the EU's Court of Justice.
Poland will not comply with EU top court ruling on Turow, PM says
Poland will not comply with the ruling of the European Union's top court, which ordered Warsaw to immediately stop mining in the Turów lignite mine on the border with the Czech Republic, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday (24 May).
EU court orders immediate halt to Turów mine in Poland
Mining at the contested Polish open-pit mine near Turów must stop immediately, the European Court of Justice ruled on Friday (21 May) following a complaint lodged by the Czech Republic.
Ambassadors call on Poland to protect LGBT rights
Dozens of ambassadors to Warsaw on Monday (17 May) called for the protection of LGBT rights in Poland, whose record on the issue was found to be the worst in the EU by an international watchdog. Gay rights have become...
Impasse deepens in Poland over new ombudsman
Poland's Senate on Thursday (13 May) rejected the latest candidate for the politically sensitive role of national ombudsman, deepening an impasse that has pitted the ruling conservative party against opponents who say it is eroding democratic rights.
Energy security: Poland’s chief priority in the coal transition
The Turów coal mine and power plant complex is “strategic for ensuring the energy security of Poland,” says PGE, the state-owned enterprise at the centre of a dispute with the Czech Republic over the extension of mining operations there.
Union leader: ‘With more social ambition, climate ambitions will also become higher’
European trade unions welcome ambitious EU climate policies, but warn that they need to be implemented alongside an equally ambitious social transition plan or risk sowing the seeds of a backlash, says Judith Kirton-Darling.
A tale of three countries: how Czechia, Germany, and Poland plan to ditch coal
For decades, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic have been at the heart of Europe's so-called "lignite triangle" which produces most of the continent's coal-based electricity. But with climate change now a top political priority, the priority is shifting to renewables.
Poland’s energy transition
Poland's coal dependence has propelled the country at the forefront of European Union efforts to decarbonise energy production, the largest source of emissions. With climate change now a top political priority, Warsaw is coming under growing pressure to close remaining coal mines and power stations.
Poland prolongs Turow mine life despite international outcry
Poland's climate ministry has extended a mining concession for the open-pit coal mine in Turów until 2044, outraging environmental campaigners, who said the move would worsen the climate crisis.
Democracy ‘loses currency’ in Europe, warns Freedom House
In its latest report published on Wednesday (28 April) the NGO Freedom House warns of an "antidemocratic turn" throughout Europe, “fuelling a deterioration in human freedom with global implications”.
Anti-LGBT discrimination ‘damages Eastern Europe’s economic growth’
Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people costs Eastern European countries almost 2% a year in economic growth, a coalition of dozens of global companies promoting LGBT+ inclusion said on Tuesday (27 April).