For more than three years, the European Union has been reducing its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, treating this as a key element of its security policy, which at the same time is consistent with its climate policy. Despite the introduction of initiatives such as the RePowerEU plan or the roadmap published in May 2025 to move away from energy imports from Russia, member states are still spending billions of euros on Russian raw materials. In a new report entitled The energy security of the European Union. How to become independent from Russian fuels by the end of 2027? Forum Energii, and independent think tank from Poland supporting the energy transition, and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent think tank that monitors the impact of the energy sector on the climate, the economy, and public health, show that complete independence of the EU from Russian energy sources is possible. However, it requires concrete action and solidarity compliance with sanctions by all member states.

The European Union needs a new energy security strategy that integrates the energy transition into the current geopolitical landscape and addresses key challenges. The Russian war against Ukraine, political changes in the United States, and significant international tensions serve as important signals for rethinking how to strenghten Europe's resilience to crises. As global dynamics continue to shift, a fresh strategic approach has become essential. Forum Energii, in collaboration with leading European experts, has published a report that outlines a new framework for ensuring a secure, resilient, and sustainable energy future for the EU. The report’s publication coincides with Poland’s Presidency of the EU Council which has set energy security as one of its priorities.

The Polish government is under pressure because of energy prices. The energy market in Poland is worth over PLN 200 billion annually and hosts many conflicting interests. The rules of this market, including price formation, are difficult to convey in political language. Energy price issues are ideal ground for disinformation, which in turn reduces motivation for the energy transition and leads to a piling of problems. In this analysis, we show how the Polish government can approach the issue of energy prices without blocking necessary reforms while protecting consumers from excessive costs. This analysis focuses on households.

Polish coal regions are the largest beneficiary of the EU's Just Transition Fund. This is a new instrument of the Cohesion Policy, supporting the achievement of the EU's energy and climate goals between 2021 and 2027. However, the future of the Fund in the next EU budgetary perspective is uncertain. Its continuation should be one of the priorities for the Polish government, and the upcoming Polish presidency is a perfect time to discuss it with the European partners. In the meantime, while there are many ministries in Poland responsible for energy sector, there is virtually no one responsible for a just transition. What is there to lose?

From 1 January 2025, Poland will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union and will have the opportunity to influence the direction and shape of EU policies for the next six months. This is an important moment in the history of the EU, geopolitical tensions are rising and expectations of Poland are high. Which areas in the field of energy and climate should become priorities during the Polish presidency? The keys for selecting the priorities are an analysis of where Poland has strong arguments supported by experience and determining what is likely to gain attention across the EU.

Compared to the energy system’s resources available before the Russian invasion, Ukraine now has only a quarter of its production capacity. Insufficient energy supplies mean that this winter many parts of Ukraine may be deprived of not only electricity but also heat and running water for significant portions of the day. Russia has consistently targeted and destroyed Ukrainian energy infrastructure to try to paralyse the economy and break the society’s will to defend against the Russian aggression and force the Kyiv authorities to capitulate to Russia on its terms. This report analyses the current state of the Ukrainian energy system and proposes solutions to reduce the risk of a humanitarian disaster in the country.

As the current European Commission's term ends, the incoming Commission will have to set new priorities in the EU energy and climate policy. Significant changes are anticipated in the energy and industry sectors, driven by the Fit for 55 package implementation, aiming to reduce emissions by 2030 and significantly deploy RES. This transition is essential for enhancing EU energy independence, reducing fuel import costs, and improving environmental quality. However, challenges remain due to disparities in wealth and institutional weaknesses, particularly in Central Europe.

Poland’s energy transition is progressing, and 2023 was a year of real records. Although coal remains the main source of electricity production, its share in the mix fell to an all-time low of 60.5%, down 10 p.p. from a year earlier. Production from RES reached 27% for the first time. At the same time, energy production from natural gas increased, by more than 40%. This is a result of falling fuel prices and the flexibility of gas generation. Wholesale energy prices in Poland compared to other EU countries remain very high, and the economy’s dependence on imported fossil fuels is growing rapidly. In the latest, seventh edition of the “Energy Transition in Poland” report, Forum Energii presents the state of transition play and a broader look at the overall process.

The upcoming European Parliament elections will open a new chapter in EU climate and energy policy. The new European Commission, which begins its 5-year term in the fall, will have to monitor the implementation of a wide range of files related to the ‘Fit for 55’ package and navigating the Union towards the 2050 goals by setting targets for 2040. It will also certainly propose a new political strategy, as the dynamics of the discussion in the EU is in a state of constant flux. From Poland’s perspective, what new priorities of the European Commission will be most important and gain support and interest?   

At the end of December, one of the last power market auctions took place. Under this form of state aid, contracts so far concluded have been for nearly PLN 90 billion (nominally), which will be repaid until 2044. Financing for them comes from electricity consumers, in the average household electricity bill, in which the power market fee accounts for about 7%. This mechanism, although costly, allows maintaining capacity in the power system. So far, however, it has mainly generated subsidies for existing and new coal and gas-fired power plants. The eighth auction turned out to be different from the previous ones: it was decentralised, clean, cheaper and battery-based. Instead, there is no new generating capacity.