As the Deputy Minister for Climate and Environment Piotr Dziadzio emphasized during the meeting, in this particularly difficult time, it is extremely important to have unity and solidarity among EU countries in order to end this unnecessary and unjustified war.

"Referring to the words of the Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwa at the EU Energy Council, The Russian invasion is changing the balance of power in Europe. Russia has been consistently pursuing military aggression on Ukrainian soil in a barbaric manner. This changes the security and geopolitics," he said.

"This war has also shown us the importance of energy independence. It is crucial for today and for the future to fully synchronize the Ukrainian system with the European system. We must do everything to ensure that this project is supported by all the states party to it, including countries outside the European Union," added Deputy Minister Edward Siarka.

Deputy Minister Dziadzio, during his talks with Romanian representatives - George Niculescu, Deputy Minister of Energy, and Róbert-Eugen Szep, Deputy Minister of Environment Water and Forests - indicated that both of our countries realize that the European Union's climate policy is a big challenge.

"Both Poland and Romania are facing fundamental changes in the energy transition and the need to build a new energy system in the coming years. In the current geopolitical situation and the war in Ukraine, there is no consensus for any debate and intensification of the Fit for 55 package. We believe it needs to be revisited in light of the threats we now face," Deputy Minister Dziadzio noted.

The country's chief geologist also noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could exacerbate the energy price crisis.

"In this situation, we must go further in our actions than the proposals contained in the 'toolbox' presented by the European Commission. We should allow Member States greater flexibility in energy price compensation - not only for the most vulnerable households, but also for small and medium-sized enterprises". - said Piotr Dziadzio.

"High energy prices also encompass the issue of high emission allowance prices, which we have been raising for over a year, which is when those prices started to rise dramatically. Emission allowance prices translate into high energy prices. In some countries this may not be the main factor, but in Poland the price of emission allowance is at the moment the main component of the cost of electricity production," he added.

In turn, Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment Edward Siarka discussed with Romanian representatives the work on LULUCF amendments seeking to create a joint forestry and agriculture sector in climate policy.

"Achieving the EU land sector's target of 310 million t eq of CO2 absorption and climate neutrality by 2035 will, in Poland's view, be a very difficult task due to the weakening CO2 absorption potential of forests in Europe, including Poland," - he pointed out.

During the meeting, the Government Plenipotentiary for Forestry and Hunting also raised the issue of implementation and execution of the new EU Forestry Strategy and the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030.

"For Poland, as well as for Romania, the most problematic is the proposal to put 10% of the EU's terrestrial areas under strict protection. As a result, the reduction in timber harvesting may be as high as 40% in Poland. We are pleased that together with Romania we are actively cooperating in various forums with regard to this proposal," said Edward Siarka.

"Poland awaits the publication of a new legal instrument on ecosystem restoration by the European Commission with great interest, as it will also apply to forest ecosystems," he added.