Michel Platini President of the UEFA, the European football governing body, has arrived in Poland to evaluate the stage of preparations for EURO 2012. Taking stock of Poland’s preparations for the event co-hosted with Ukraine „Gazeta Prawna” reports that according to UEFA’s assessment there are no delays in the construction of the National Stadium.  >>

The European Commission approved the Programme on the 7 December 2007, granted Poland around EUR 27.9 bln from the EU budget to implement it between 2007 and 2013 (EUR 22.2 bln from the Cohesive Fund and EUR 5.7 bln from the European Regional Development Fund) which constitutes around 42% of the entire means designated for cohesive policy. The national contribution of EUR 9.7 bln has to be added to that sum, which means EUR 37.6 bln have been earmarked to implement the projects filed for the Programme. >>

“Clean coal technologies could give Poland a major technological development opportunity provided proper steps are taken by science, industry and politicians. The time for science – which should outpace industry – is now most auspicious. Research programmes are in place and funds are available,” says Professor Józef Dubiński, PhD (Eng), President of the Central Mining Institute (GIG). >>

“We have a chance of turning coal into a genuine source of energy and heat as well as of chemical raw materials”, argues Professor Jerzy Buzek, co-ordinator of the ”zero-emission” programme in the European Parliament. >>

In the past few decades, Poland appeared more reluctant than other countries to build a nuclear power station. But as Andrzej Strupczewski, PhD, of the Institute of Atomic Energy in Świerk explains in these remarks for “Polish Market”, nuclear power stands a good chance of counteracting climate change, and should thus be considered as a serious option for Poland. >>

The climate has been noticeably changing. Winters tend to be snowless, and scorching heat waves we have experienced in late spring and summer in recent years are just a preview of what the more frequent and severe weather global warming is likely to bring. The European Severe Weather Database reports that in 2006, tornados struck Poland as many as 52 times, which compares to just once in 1991, seven times in 1996 and eight in 2001. There were more droughts and floods. ANDRZEJ KASSENBERG elaborates on the consequences of climate change and measures to be taken to prevent it. >>

The world’s energy reality is today shaped first of all by the growing demand for energy and the consequent ecological threats. This is also the case in Poland. But Polish electro-power engineering differs in one respect from that in the EU: while the European Union as a whole imports some 83 % of primary energy, Poland imports only 40%, as Polish energy expert Herbert Leopold Gabryś explains in these remarks for POLISH MARKET. >>

Aleksander Grad, Minister of the Treasury CO2.emission limits for the energy sector need to be changed, because we do not want to lower the value of energy producing companies in the run up to their privatisation, says Aleksander Grad, the Polish Minister of the Treasury.  >>

“Even if the government fulfils its task within reasonable time, the situation as such will not improve per se. Companies in the energy sectors must take appropriate action themselves as well. The offensive has already begun for access to energy sources and raw materials. Those who do not win the campaign to-day will turn beggars on the energy market in 15-20 years time” – says Adam Szejnfeld, secretary of state at the Ministry of the Economy. >>