Poland calls for charges on EU member states for using Russian energy

Poland is working on a proposal to impose charges on EU member states for using Russian energy, climate and environment minister Anna Moskwa said April 26.

Moskwa said the Polish government was working on details of a "Russian ETS" proposal, which may bear some similarity to the EU's Emissions Trading System.

Poland will present it during the European Council meeting at the end of May.

Funds raised from the mechanism would be used to invest in critical EU energy infrastructure such as LNG terminals or natural gas pipelines.

Moskwa made the announcement during a news conference following talks in Warsaw with EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson. Simson declined to comment on the proposals, which Moskwa said may include targets for individual economic sectors and member states to reduce use of Russian energy.

Coal extension

Separately, Moskwa said it was "too early to say" whether the Polish government would ask the European Commission to extend capacity market payments for coal-fired generation units beyond 2025.

Poland is said to be in talks with the European Commission about the issue because it wants to ensure coal plant's profitability as the bloc ends imports of Russian energy.

Moskwa said the war in Ukraine would accelerate Polish development of renewable energy -- she supports a relaxing of rules for onshore wind -- but extending the life of coal plants was necessary to provide supply security.

"Poland needs stable power sources to complement renewable output, some upgrades of existing units are necessary but there won't be any revolutionary changes to energy policy. It is too early to say if we will ask for an extension of the capacity market," Moskwa said.

Moskwa also said Poland supported revision of the EU's 'Fit for 55' package of climate actions because it was blocking the transformation of large coal-fired heating units, used in Poland to provide heat for 15 million people.