President Karol Nawrocki Calls for Radical Reform or Abolition of EU ETS

Polish President Karol Nawrocki sent a formal position paper to Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, calling for the abolition or radical reform of the EU Emissions Trading System across the entire European Union. Nawrocki described the system as "green madness" and argued it is damaging European competitiveness. The move marks a direct intervention by the president into a policy area where the Polish government, led by Prime Minister Tusk, holds primary executive authority. The initiative was announced the previous evening by an advisor to the president, who confirmed the formal presentation of a package of solutions would take place on Tuesday. The step signals that Nawrocki intends to use his office to push for a fundamental shift in EU climate policy.

Presidential advisor previewed the package the night before According to reporting by wnp.pl, a presidential advisor announced on Monday evening, March 16, that Nawrocki would present Tusk with a set of proposed solutions regarding the ETS. The framing used by the president's camp was that the system is "sinking Europe" and that "decisive changes are needed." The initiative is described in reporting by niezalezna.pl as an important presidential move aimed at influencing both domestic policy and the broader EU-level debate on the future of carbon trading. The formal letter or position paper was subsequently confirmed as sent on the morning of March 17, according to multiple Polish outlets including polsatnews.pl and gazeta.pl. The president's office framed the outreach to the prime minister as a constructive step requiring cooperation between the two offices to achieve change at the European level.

Czarnek and PiS push the same line on carbon trading Przemysław Czarnek, Vice-President of Law and Justice, has also publicly advocated for abandoning the ETS system, according to reporting by oko.press. The outlet framed the broader question as whether Poland could lead other EU member states away from the system, noting that the EU itself is currently engaged in discussions about the mechanism's future. Czarnek's position aligns with Nawrocki's, though the two operate from different institutional positions — one as a party official in opposition, the other as head of state. The convergence of voices from the presidential palace and the main opposition party on this issue reflects a wider political current in Poland skeptical of EU climate obligations. Nawrocki, however, requires the cooperation of Prime Minister Tusk's government to translate any presidential initiative into formal Polish or EU-level policy action, as reported by Business Insider Polska.

ETS debate intensifies across the EU as Poland weighs in The EU Emissions Trading System was established as the world's first major carbon market and remains the cornerstone of the European Union's climate policy architecture. Poland has historically been one of the most vocal critics of the system within the EU, given its heavy reliance on coal-fired power generation. The country has repeatedly sought exemptions, derogations, and slower phase-in schedules for ETS obligations during successive rounds of EU climate negotiations. The system has faced renewed scrutiny across Europe as energy prices and industrial competitiveness concerns have risen up the political agenda in multiple member states. The ETS requires industrial operators to hold permits for each tonne of carbon dioxide they emit, with the price of those permits fluctuating on the open market. Critics, including Nawrocki, argue the system imposes disproportionate costs on energy-intensive industries and households in countries like Poland that have not yet completed their energy transition. Supporters of the mechanism contend it is the most cost-effective tool available to drive down emissions across the EU economy. The debate over the ETS has gained new momentum in Brussels as member states reassess the pace and cost of the green transition. Whether Nawrocki's letter will prompt a formal Polish government response or shift Tusk's negotiating position in EU forums remains, according to the available reporting, an open question. Cap-and-trade systems of this kind have been debated globally as both climate tools and economic burdens, and Poland's presidential intervention adds a new institutional voice to that ongoing European argument.