Poland in the EU

At an extraordinary meeting of the Council requested by Poland, health ministers with the participation of EU Commissioners Stella Kyriakides (health), Janez Lenarčič (crisis management) and Thierry Breton (internal market) engaged in a political debate on the protection of public health in connection with the spread of the COVID-19 virus infections in Europe. Participation in the meeting was also an opportunity for Minister Łukasz Szumowski to sign the Joint Procurement Agreement of the medical countermeasures on behalf of the Polish government.

The European Green Deal, including the presentation of European Climate Law and the Just Transformation Mechanism, as well as the proposal to submit to the UNFCCC Secretariat the EU long-term climate strategy were among the main topics of the Environment Council (ENVI), during which Poland was represented by Deputy Minister of Climate Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński.

Minister Mariusz Kamiński participated in the extraordinary meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA). The meeting was devoted to the migration situation at the external borders of the European Union.

According to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in Poland in January 2020 was 2.9 percent. against 3.8 percent in the first month of 2019. This is the second best result among all EU Member States.

Poland is amongst the leaders of economic growth in the EU, with stable macroeconomic foundations and further development potential in the field of innovation - these are the main conclusions from the latest European Commission report on the state of the Member States economy.

According to the Polish Central Statistical Office (GUS), in January 2020 industrial new orders increased by 5.5% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, export orders increased by 8.8%. Compared to December 2019, industrial new orders rose by 19.5%, including export orders that surged by 19.4%. The data indicate that the sentiment in Polish industry is recovering.

At the GAC meeting, ministers for European affairs focused on the preparation of the European Council summit, which is scheduled for 26-27 March. In addition, the Council held a discussion on the next steps of the negotiations between the EU and the UK, the EU enlargement policy and legislative priorities. Poland was represented by Minister Konrad Szymański.

During a special European Council meeting, EU leaders did not reach an agreement on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027).

Minister of Finance Tadeusz Kościński participated in the Eurogroup meeting in the inclusive format and the meeting of the ECOFIN Council during a two day visit between 17-18 February. The topics discussed included the results of the review of the economic governance framework and guidelines for the EU budget for 2021. The ministerial meetings were preceded by the Minister's participation in a seminar at the Bruegel Institute on tax solidarity and the future of taxation in the EU.

The final shape of the regulations on the functioning of international road transport included in the Mobility Package I, was the main subject of the talks between Minister Andrzej Adamczyk and transport ministers of the like-minded countries (apart from Poland, these are Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Cyprus, Estonia and Malta) with Adina Vălean, EU Commissioner for Transport, and Frans Timmermans, Commission's Executive Vice President responsible for the EU climate strategy, otherwise known as the European Green Deal.