After more than six months spent fighting the pandemic, we know that it has had an enormous impact on the global economy, as well as on the economy of the European Union – as such, it will leave an indelible mark on the future, changing the way people live and do business. It will also have a significant impact on the policies of individual countries and the EU as a whole, said minister Kurtyka.

However, he also pointed out that this cannot be a reason to abandon the green transition, even though it may be hard to assess the economic, social and financial impact of the current pandemic on the economic, social and financial issues, and thus on the environment and people's quality of life.

There is no turning back from the transformation of our energy systems, because doing so would result in negative consequences for both Poland and the European Union as a whole in the coming years, the Minister stressed.

As he added, Poland shares the position of the European Commission that consistent implementation of the European Green Deal, which is now the new economic growth strategy for the EU as a whole, constitutes an important tool in the EU's fight against the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. He pointed out, however, that the fact that the EC presented the assumptions and principles of the Green Deal last December, when no one in the world expected what a challenge everyone would have to face in 2020, cannot be ignored.

The current crisis situation requires us to take a new look at the European Green Deal, especially in the context of possible financial support for the EU economies struggling with the impact of the crisis on a micro and macro scale - he explained.

According to Kurtyka, the transition goals must be not only ambitious, but above all realistic and socially acceptable, and the effects of the reforms must not burden the poorest. The current crisis highlights the importance of our demands to ensure a just transition. At the same time, maintaining the global competitiveness of the EU economy should remain one of our fundamental objectives.

We need to choose anti-crisis measures in such a way as to protect the climate and the environment without damaging the economy, while saving our jobs. During this crisis, it is crucial to have the flexibility to choose the path of transition that will enable Member States to achieve shared objectives, while taking into account the protection of citizens and sectors of economy, which were most affected by the pandemic, he added.