EU country refuses to share gas
The European Commission will not be able to force Poland to adhere to the EU’s new plan to cut gas consumption, nor will Poland share its gas reserves with other members of the bloc, the country’s climate and environment minister, Anna Moskwa, has told the news outlet Sieci.
“Energy security is the exclusive competence of each state, and we will never agree cede it to the European Union. No one can force us to regulate gas or introduce other restrictive measures. Moreover, we do not want to make decisions about restrictions in other states,” the minister was cited as saying.
Her comments refer to the EU’s plan to cut gas consumption across the bloc by 15%, which, it is hoped, will help member states fill storages amid concerns of a possible halt of Russian gas supplies. In the interview, Moskwa noted that the plan was not made mandatory and thus should be seen as guidance rather than law.
“It will be voluntary, and the decision in this regard is sovereign for each country,” she stressed.
Despite the fact that the plan does not appear to entail gas reserves being shared among EU members, the minister was adamant that Poland would keep its gas to itself under any circumstances.
“No one will take away our gas. I emphasize – the EC cannot force us to do anything. There is no solidarity without freedom, and it ends where coercion begins,” she said, adding that “the infrastructure, gas pipelines and purchased gas are the property of our state, and only we can decide how we use it, for whose needs.”
“Of course, if there are countries in the EU that have the appropriate capabilities and infrastructure, they can always, on the basis of a bilateral agreement, support their neighbors,” Moskwa stated, but noted that it is unlikely “Brussels would impose on us the obligation to help.”
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