PiS MEP Jadwiga Wiśniewska submitted a question to the European Commission regarding the German PCK Schwedt refinery and the compliance of permits to increase sulfur dioxide emissions with EU law.
"The German PCK refinery in Schwedt (PCK Raffinerie GmbH), located 10 km from the Polish border, is the only facility in this region of Europe burns fuel waste to generate energy, making it exceptionally high-emitting compared to other facilities that use gas-fired power plants, and the highest-emitting refinery in Germany.
The PCK refinery has obtained a permit from the Brandenburg State Office for Environmental Protection (LfU) to increase sulfur dioxide emissions to 1,000 mg/Nm³ as a daily average. The permit is valid until the end of 2027.
Given the enormous burden on the climate, European law permits SO₂ emissions at a level of 1,000 mg/Nm³ only in exceptional and specific cases, and permits in this regard are subject to notification to the European Commission. “According to press reports, the permits granted to the PCK refinery were not notified and raise serious concerns regarding their negative impact on the environment,” the parliamentary inquiry states.
In light of the above, the PiS MEP wants to know whether the European Commission has received notifications from Germany regarding permits to increase SO₂ emissions and whether they meet the formal and substantive requirements. Furthermore, Wiśniewska asks whether the European Commission plans to take any action regarding the PCK refinery, as well as what sanctions could be imposed on the company or the member state if national permits to increase SO₂ emission levels are inconsistent with the law or the interests of the European Union.
