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En En Mission Report European Parliament 2014-2019 Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety 20.12.2017 MISSION REPORT following the ENVI delegation to Poland (18-20 September 2017) Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Members of the mission: Alojz Peterle (PPE) (Chair of the mission) Seb Dance (S&D) Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (ALDE) Bas Eickhout (Verts/ALE) Accompanying Member: Andrzej Grzyb (PPE) CR\1135718EN.docx PE610.918v01-00 EN United in diversity EN Introduction At its meeting of 11 May 2017, the Conference of Presidents endorsed the request made by the ENVI Committee to send a delegation to Poland during the green week in September 2017. The aim of this delegation was to look at projects and initiatives in Poland contributing to the fight of climate change and to the decarbonisation of the economy and producing clean energy. A roundtable on the issue of Bielowieza forest was also organised with representatives from the Polish Ministry of Environment, the Forest management body, NGOs and the academic and scientific world. The mission included meetings in Warsaw and a visit to biogas installation in Tończa, and was accompanied by Silvia Cannalire and Ewa Kaniewska from the secretariat of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The following political group advisors also accompanied the delegation: Agnieszka Gregorczyk (S&D), Wilhelm Bargum (ALDE), Terhi Lehtonen (Greens/EFA) and Maciej Brachowicz (ECR) (out of quota). Summary account of meetings Monday 18 September 1. Meeting with NGOs After some introductory words by the Chair, several NGOs active in the environmental field presented their activities and the main concerns for the environment in Poland. In particular, Mr Tobiasz Adamczewski (WWF Poland) touched the topic of the recent reduction of jobs for miners (from 145 000 to 82 000 since 2005) and of the restructuring of mining companies. He also pointed out the need to better exploit the potential of renewable energy (especially for wind energy and biogas) and to accompany that transition with a modernisation of houses as well as with social actions to help the society facing this transition. Mr Paweł Szypulski (Greenpeace Poland) touched the topic of scale logging in private land. Ms Małgorzata Smolak (ClientEarth Poland) explained the health problems linked to coal and air pollution in Poland, mainly due the fact that coal and wood burning, predominantly in outdated installations (stoves), remains a major heating source, especially outside densely populated areas. In particular, around 50% of PM2.5 and PM10 and over 80% of benzo(a)pyrene emissions are emitted by small-scale heating installations. Some solutions were proposed so far at regional level (i.e. in South Poland). She explained that the described situation has a very negative impact on citizens’ health and increase the number of premature death. Ms Ewa Les (Save the Rivers Coalition) gave an overview of the recent legislative developments in Poland on water and on some projects to use the main Polish rivers for transport purposes, for example a recent project of navigation near the Vistola lagune. PE610.918v01-00 2/13 CR\1135718EN.docx EN Mr Zbigniew Karaczun (Polish Climate Coalition) gave a general overview of the situation of Polish NGOs, which fear reduced financial support. In the discussion, Members raised question in relation to funding environmental protection projects and to the need of having an integrated approach and of sharing not only objectives, but also policies. NGOs shared with Members some difficulties in the current situation to have integrated approaches in some areas but also a successful experience in Krakow on air pollution. 2. Meeting with Renewable Energy sector Ms Beata Wiszniewska (General Director of PIGEOR - Polish Economic Chamber of Renewable and Distributed Energy) gave a presentation on the general overview of RES sector in Poland in the last years. The national action plan in 2010 put a target of 19% RES in 2020 and also in the draft for energy policy by 2020 the share does not exceed 20%. She explained that legislation has been modified in 2015, 2016 and in July 2017 on reduction of compensation fee. The collapse of support for existing installations lead to a scarce profitability for the RES farmers. Ms Ewa Malicka (President of TRMEW, the Polish Association for Small Hydropower Development) gave a presentation on the hydropower sector in Poland. She explained that there are 761 hydropower plants in Poland, most of them very small. In general, the hydropower potential is small but could also be better exploited. TRMEW aims at improving the hydropower using the existing barrages, as there are more than 8000 sites which could potentially be used and developed. Ms Beata Wiszniewska also gave a presentation on behalf of Mr Ryszard Gajewski (President of the Polish Chamber of Biomass) on the situation of the biomass sector (including use of forest biomass). Although Poland is a good place to develop biomass installation, the sector lives a difficult moment. Mr Stanislaw Pietruszko (President of PV Poland) gave a presentation on the situation of the photovoltaic sector in Poland distinguishing between the micro installations (up to 40 KW) which are exempted from the fee to connect to the grid, and the other installations. Ms Kamila Tarnacka (Member of the Board of PSEW - Polish Association of Wind Energy) and Kamil Szydłowski (Vice-president of SMEW - Polish Association of Small Wind Energy) presented to the Members the situation of the wind power sector and its regulatory framework. In the following discussion, participants discussed the potential of renewables in Poland, with particular focus on wind, including offshore wind, and the need for Poland to build a long term energy strategy and open up to more innovative and flexible energy sectors. 3. Meeting with Polish industry and trade unions Mr Maciej Burny (Secretary to the Board of the Polish Electricity Association, PKEE) gave a presentation on the Polish actions in diversifying the energy mix and underlined the big CR\1135718EN.docx 3/13 PE610.918v01-00 EN potential of biomass and the need for the capacity mechanism to be open to all technologies. He explained that RES development is on its way to meet 2020 target. The path to achieve 15% RES target in 2020 is set out in the National Renewable Energy Action Plan and Poland is implementing this path in terms of installed capacity (MW) and gross electricity generation (GWh). Ms Daria Kulczycka (Director of energy and climate change department in Confederation “Lewiatan”) explained that Lewiatan is particularly interested in climate policy as it represents a large number of sectors which include energy consumers and energy producers. She explained that although the Polish economy is growing well, a long-term vision of a proper energy mix is needed. Mr Henryk Kaliś (President of the Forum of Electricity and Gas Receivers - FOEEiG) gave a presentation on the electricity, gas and heat market in Poland from the perspective of its members which are energy-intensive industries. He stressed, in particular, the importance of energy security for industries. Mr Kazimierz Grajcarek (President of Trade Union NSZZ "Solidarność”) explained their difficulties in evaluating positively EU policies which will have the effect to reduce jobs. He stressed the importance to take into consideration also the point of view of “average people” and to make them informed of any policy which could have serious consequences on their jobs. Mr Grzegorz Trefon (Project Officer in Trade Unions Forum - FZZ) explained that in Poland many miners and energy sector workers are protesting as they fear the changes that will come as consequence of the Paris agreement. He noted that many of them support the “clean coal” as an option which ensures energy, stability, is cheap and creates jobs. He stressed that lot of investments have been done in revitalisation and green jobs, land reuse and land improvement activities. The former mining areas could be differently exploited and create more jobs, but in order to do so, investments are needed and for that they need political support. Mr Mirosław Motyka (All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions - OPZZ) presented the difficulties of the industries they represent, in particular in competing with producers in China which have no ETS. In the following debate, the Chair stressed the importance to look at the big picture and to face changes although they produce fear and can have immediate negative effects but with the time they will have very positive results. Members underlined the need for certain jobs to disappear but the will of the EU to sustain them and help in the transition; the fact that this kind of changes are necessary as also lignite and carbon are not infinite and although very challenging for some Member States, all member States shall have the same future agenda. Tuesday 19 September 4. Meeting with Polish State Secretary – Ministry of the Environment The Members of the delegation met Mr Paweł Sałek (Government Plenipotentiary for Climate Policy in the Ministry of the Environment). PE610.918v01-00 4/13 CR\1135718EN.docx EN Mr Sałek welcomed the delegation. The Chair explained what general topics arose from discussions NGOs and Industry. Mr Sałek explained the difficulties for Poland to leave a carbon-based energy system due to its historical path and stressed the importance of ensuring energy security and energy independence, but affirmed that the number
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