Aleksander Szpor, “CE Energy News”: Poland faces a serious challenge when it comes to climate neutrality by 2050, mainly due to its coal-based energy system and limited alternative options. The most coal-dependent country in CEE is struggling to transform in an economically and politically secure manner.

Piotr Arak, “Visegrad Insight”: Taxing may be the most important outcome of the COVID-19 crisis. More protectionism, new value chains, quantitative easing and new taxes through the EU could be the new normal of 2020.

Piotr Arak, “Emerging Europe”: The coronavirus has reshaped how we think about the economy and society. The governments of most countries have had to put their economies into hibernation to protect people from a disease: something which we have not encountered before.

Aleksander Szpor i Jan Strzelecki, “Emerging Europe”: Since December 2019, when US sanctions were imposed on companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the finalisation of the project has been frozen.

Andrzej Kubisiak, “EU Observer”: The consultation of social partners on the submission by the European Commission of a proposal for an EU minimum wage lasted until the end of February.

Piotr Arak, “EU Observer”: In the US we have the primaries and presidential elections this year but in the EU the budgetary negotiations will make for a good reality TV. Some will be losers, and some will be winners.

Piotr Arak, “Visegrad Insight”: Cohesion policy promotes upward social convergence among EU countries. It is well-managed, well monitored and supports quality projects. Unlike tax avoidance and evasion, cohesion funding is a cash flow that works and delivers results.

Piotr Arak, “Euractiv”: Cross-border tax evasion is a problem for the EU and there is no reason to exclude EU member states from the tax haven assessment. Therefore, the EU needs a New Tax Deal.

Piotr Arak, “The Rift”: Mid-December EU leaders have reached an agreement on achieving climate-neutrality by 2050 but with Poland opting-out of the target. It doesn’t mean that Poland takes an opposite attitude towards common ambition of achieving climate neutrality.

Piotr Arak: In her stirring speech to the European Parliament last week the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented the European Green Deal. She confirmed the earlier announcements about substantial upscaling of the EU climate targets for 2030 and 2050.