Poland against EU-wide tax on energy firms, climate minister says

WARSAW – Poland is against introducing an EU-wide windfall tax on energy companies but may introduce a similar solution independently, Polish Climate Minister Anna Moskwa said on Thursday.

The European Union’s executive on Wednesday outlined plans to raise more than $140 billion from energy firms to help shield households and businesses from soaring prices that threaten economic recession and insolvencies.

“We are considering such an idea on a country level … but we do not agree to introducing such a solution at a European level,” Moskwa told private station Radio Zet.

Moskwa said such a decision would have to be taken unanimously as it refers to taxes and that an EU-wide solution would be impractical due to differences between particular countries’ energy systems.

“We will be against it … we filed an official motion for (voting) unanimity, different countries have different approaches here. Many countries do not agree to such solutions,” Moskwa said.