On October 2–3, Katowice is hosting PRECOP 29—a conference leading up to and preparing for the COP 29 Climate Summit in Azerbaijan. The guest on the first day of the conference was PiS MEP Jadwiga Wiśniewska, a long-standing member and currently vice-chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), as well as a member of the European Parliament delegation to the COP24 Climate Summit in Katowice and a participant in the COP25 Summit in Madrid.
In her speech, MEP Wiśniewska referred to the Draghi Report, which is intended to serve as a roadmap for the new European Commission. “The Draghi Report assesses the competitiveness of the EU economy on the global stage, offering a clear diagnosis: due to high energy prices, Europe is losing competitiveness relative to the U.S. and China, particularly in the fields of innovation and advanced technologies. Electricity prices in the EU are, on average, 158 percent higher, and gas prices are, on average, as much as three times higher,” said Wiśniewska, adding that “the implementation of the Green Deal leads to a decline in the competitiveness and productivity of European industry, which is struggling not only with high energy prices but also with poorer access to critical raw materials than its competitors on the global market.”
When asked about the effects of the EU’s green policies, Jadwiga Wiśniewska pointed to the example of production in energy-intensive sectors (including the steel industry), which has fallen by as much as 15 percent since 2021. As she added: “This gap has been filled by imports from third countries whose climate regulations bear no resemblance to the EU’s restrictive climate policy.”
Summarizing the report prepared by Draghi, the speaker stated that “the diagnosis is accurate, but the conclusions are not necessarily so.” The author of the document, despite noting the negative impact of the Green Deal on the EU’s declining competitiveness, simultaneously recommends its continuation as part of Europe’s development strategy, advocates for further centralization at the EU level, and calls for taking on additional joint debt.”
Jadwiga Wiśniewska pointed out that this document must be taken seriously, as the recommendations it contains will be implemented by the new Commissioners. At the same time, she highlighted concerns regarding the proposed composition of the new European Commission.
“The nomination of two outspoken opponents of nuclear energy—Teresa Ribeiro of Spain and Dan Jorgensen of Denmark—as EU Commissioners for Climate Action and Energy raises concerns. During the Commissioners’ hearings, the European Parliament will certainly want to find out exactly what their position is on this issue,” the speaker emphasized.
Referring to the most important challenges facing the new European Commission, MEP Wiśniewska pointed out that it is necessary to revise the Fit for 55 Package.
“The package must be revised to prevent further deterioration of European industry and its exodus beyond the EU’s borders. One example is the European automotive sector, which is in a very difficult economic situation due to fierce competition from China. In this context, the ban on the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles starting in 2035, as set by Brussels, should be abandoned. It is essential to revise the emissions trading system, which imposes a massive financial burden. The overarching goal should be to take measures that will lower energy prices for both industry and citizens,” said Wiśniewska.
Summing up her reflections on the future of the Green Deal, MEP Jadwiga Wiśniewska emphasized that “the time has come to revise climate policy, because we need a rational and sensible climate policy that puts people at its center.”
