Poland eyes boost for nuclear energy in EU power market reformBRUSSELS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Poland has urged the European Union to use upcoming reforms to Europe’s electricity market to do more to support investments in nuclear energy, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The European Union is set to propose a power market upgrade next month, to attempt to avoid a repeat of last year when cuts to Russian gas supply sent European power prices soaring, since gas plants often set overall electricity prices in the current EU system.
“We must ensure a positive regulatory environment for investing in all zero- and low emission technologies. This is especially important for nuclear power projects,” Poland said in a paper shared with EU policymakers, adding that nuclear projects typically require high upfront investments.
The call from Warsaw comes as countries are squaring off over the role for nuclear energy in other EU policies. Negotiations this week on new EU renewable energy targets were cancelled amid a disagreement over whether to expand the targets to include hydrogen produced with nuclear power.
The low-carbon energy source is championed by EU countries including France, which has a large nuclear power fleet, and Poland, which plans to build reactors to help phase out coal. Germany and Austria are among its opponents, citing concerns over nuclear waste disposal and safety.
Poland said the EU should also make it easier for countries to launch electricity capacity mechanisms and temporarily lift an emissions limit - which could allow such schemes to support coal power.
In a capacity mechanism, a government pays power plants to guarantee they remain available to produce electricity when needed. Current EU rules only allow countries to do this as a last resort, and Brussels has raised concerns that the schemes may distort competition in energy markets.
The EU has said its upcoming reforms will aim to expand Europe’s use of long-term contracts that provide power plants with a fixed price for their electricity, to try to make energy bills more stable and less tied to volatile short-term markets. Poland said it would support expanding these types of contracts. (Reporting by Kate Abnett Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-energy-poland-reform-idUSL4N34M3J9Joint Statement on the Strategic Dialogue Between the United States and Poland
3 February 2023
The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Poland on the occasion of the 14th session of the U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue.
Begin Text:
The Governments of the United States and Poland held the 14th session of the U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue in Warsaw on February 2, 2023.
Held one year after the previous session in Washington and nearly a year since Russia began its brutal invasion of Ukraine, this year’s U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue took place against the backdrop of the greatest threat to European security since World War II. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has had a profound impact on the Euro-Atlantic community and has triggered significant adverse effects on a global scale. By violating the fundamental principles of the rules-based international order, Russia has demonstrated it is not a reliable partner and must be held accountable. We remain committed to ensuring Russia’s aggression against Ukraine remains a strategic failure. Belarus, the DPRK, and Iran should cease their support for Russia and the People’s Republic of China should halt its amplification of the Kremlin’s false narratives.
The United States and Poland reiterate that Russia must withdraw from all territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. We expressed our intention to continue to work closely to support Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russia’s war of aggression. We reaffirm our commitment to continue to provide Ukraine with necessary military assistance to defend itself, support humanitarian relief, and work together to rebuild Ukraine. We reiterate our commitment to continued joint efforts – including through mechanisms such as the G7+ – to address Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure needs.
The United States and Poland intend to continue to hold consultations on further restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus, bilaterally and within other formats, such as the G7+, and we remain committed to strengthening sanctions until Russia stops its war against Ukraine and withdraws its forces from Ukraine. To bolster the sanctions regime targeting Russia, we are committed to identifying and tracking the practices of sanctions circumvention through third countries’ jurisdictions. By imposing further restrictive measures and ensuring their relevant execution we should prove to Russia and other potential aggressors that starting a war is not only morally wrong, but also leads to very severe economic consequences.
The U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue focused on shared values and interests, reaffirming the strong, steady, and broad bilateral cooperation between the United States and Poland. The working groups of the Strategic Dialogue discussed regional and collective security; political military issues; energy security, including climate change and nuclear energy cooperation; economic prosperity; cooperation in the framework of the Three Seas Initiative; and strengthening democratic values and institutions in Europe and Eurasia.
The United States and Poland reiterate our unwavering commitment to defend every inch of NATO territory. Both sides look forward to the July 2023 NATO Vilnius Summit and reaffirming Allied unity in the wake of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine.
Our economic and trade partnership is strong and resilient. The United States and Poland strive to improve supply chains in key sectors, to strengthen cooperation on energy and technology, and to increase bilateral and transatlantic trade. The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in the field of high technology, including construction of the 5G network based on the OpenRAN model, production of semiconductors, and development of hydrogen technologies, as well as opportunities for further engagement on national security investment screening to protect these sensitive emerging technologies from national security risks while maintaining an open investment environment. In view of the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, the United States and Poland are steadily strengthening and extending cooperation in cybersecurity in various formats and fora, both bilateral and multilateral. We also discussed strengthening cooperation within the framework of the Three Seas Initiative, promoting the potential of the Central and Eastern European region as a supplier of proven and safe solutions.
Participants in the Dialogue discussed immediate energy security concerns and the imperative of the transition to clean and sustainable energy. The United States and Poland intend to continue to work together to further diversify Europe’s natural gas supplies and to more broadly reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
We confirm our readiness to further develop our cooperation in civil nuclear field both in the construction of large nuclear power plants in Poland as well as in advancing small modular reactors technology.The United States and Poland reiterated their deep commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights and the United Nations human rights system, especially in the context of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The sides affirmed their commitment to continuing to work together to improve the human rights situation in the world, prevent and end violations and abuses, and hold those responsible to account.
The two sides also exchanged views on the current situation in the Indo-Pacific and the mounting challenges the region faces, particularly those which undermine our interests, security, values, and the rules-based international order. In the face of those challenges, we reaffirmed our commitment to working with our partners in and beyond the region to realize our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific that is more connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient.
The 14th U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and included interagency and inter-ministerial representatives from both governments. Polish Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wojciech Gerwel, Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried, and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski jointly opened the Strategic Dialogue. The meeting featured representatives from the Polish Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Energy and Climate, and Development and Technology, as well as the Chancellery of the President, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, and the National Security Bureau. On the American side, representatives participated from the Departments of State, Defense, and Energy.
Both sides expressed a strong interest in deepening the bilateral strategic partnership in the year ahead and through future strategic dialogues. We plan to hold the next annual meeting in Washington in 2024.
https://pl.usembassy.gov/strategic_dialogue/Parece-me claro que o próximo passo da Polónia para se defender do imperialismo russo, vai ser a aposta total no nuclear (energia nuclear, quer grandes reactores quer os novos microreactores, quer a "guarda" de armas nucleares americanas e até a construção de armas nucleares próprias)?
Parece que vamos ter uma corrida às armas nucleares, porque já ninguém acredita que haja algum bom senso na Rússia!?
Parece-me evidente que mais países vão tomar a mesma decisão!
