The right wants to block Fit for 55. The expert brings Ziobro down to earth: Our vote does not count

Politics, and especially the EU package of regulations, has become the subject of many politicians’ statements in recent weeks – including a dispute within the ruling camp. Politicians of Sovereign Poland, led by Zbigniew Ziobro, said, among others, about the “threat to the Polish future” and “ravaging the pockets of many Poles”, and Sławomir Mentzen spoke about the destruction of “industry, agriculture, transport and construction”. Now politicians of the right wing talk about “voicing” the package, although it is completely alone in its opposition. What’s more, Praw has few possibilities, not to say that there are none at all, to block these solutions.

Poland wants to block Fit for 55. “Our vote does not count”

Aleksander Śniegocki, president of the think tank Instytut Reform, which deals with e.g. analyzing climate policy, in Green Morning Gazeta.pl explained that one country cannot disagree with changes to the environmental directive. Key decisions on the overall objective are adopted unanimously, while later solutions and directives are subject to majority voting. – No veto possible. One country is not able to block the adoption of any of these directives or regulations – explained Śniegocki in an interview with Patryk Strzałkowski. He added that it would be very difficult to gather a blocking minority, because other countries support the prepared changes and it is alone in its opposition.

– There was no overt opposition, apart from Poland. We have been the lone voice that has opposed almost every issue in this package. When we say “no” to the entire package of solutions and announce that no matter what happens, we will say “no”, then our power of persuasion ceases to matter. Our voice in this process does not count – explained Aleksander Śniegocki in the Green Morning. As he stressed, other countries in the region adopted a different one. They are not fighting against the existence of the entire package, but they are striving for, among others, increasing funds for transformation or extending its time. Such proposals, according to the expert, have a much better chance of being implemented. – By withdrawing from negotiations, we stopped counting Sniegocki said.

Sovereign Poland wants to block the package anyway

This, however, does not prevent politicians from announcing blocking the package. Deputy Minister of Climate Jacek Dekora that Sovereign Poland will do everything to prevent the adoption of climate solutions. – Today, the future of Poland is threatened by the Fit for 55 package – he said and announced that the European Union regularly deceives us, which is why the veto was not put forward. He even suggested that despite the lack of a legal veto in this matter, Poland could put pressure on the European Union by vetoing other programs and solutions. “Where possible, she will want to block,” he assured.

What is Fit for 55?

All European Union countries – including Poland – have agreed that by 2030 we will cut our greenhouse gas emissions by 55% to contribute to stopping climate change. On the basis of this decision, a package of specific regulations was prepared, which are to translate into a reduction in emissions in the energy sector, industry and transport. These EU regulations are Fit for 55. Among them, e.g. new emission standards for cars, including a ban on the registration of new cars with a combustion engine after 2035, the so-called a carbon duty, i.e. a carbon border fee to protect European business from “dirty” competition from countries with large emissions, and a new emissions trading system that will cover transport and heating.