EurActiv: Energy Union must look forward, not back
European Energy Union based on coal would be dead on arrival, writes Professor Michael Grubb, who adds that Poland has a golden opportunity to use EU climate policy to transition to other energy sources.
With this year’s political transitions in Europe, Poland is taking its rightful place as a major European power.
And next month, a European Council meeting is due to finalise a new package of climate and energy legislation, to define European goals for 2030 and its role in global negotiations. It will be an acid test, in many ways, including of Poland’s proposal for an Energy Union.
Poland’s stance to date has appeared to many others to be dominated by a view that is both nationalistic and outdated. While correctly stressing the importance of energy security, the Polish government has apparently convinced itself that the national interest lies in coal.