Brussels meet under way

Poland's president Lech Kaczynski and PM Donald Tusk are participating in the two-day EU summit in Brussels. The spring meeting of leaders of the 27 nation block is devoted mainly to economic matters, including the plan to fight the finance crisis, stimulating employment and the reform of financial markets. Poland attaches a lot of importance to the debate on the strengthening of the bloc’s ties with its Eastern European neighbours within the framework of the so-called Eastern Partnership. The meeting is also seen as part of preparations for the G-20 meeting in London on April 2 with Poland reported to join it.

Report by Danuta Isler.

Among the issues important from Poland's perspective is preparing the plan of weathering the global financial crisis and approval of proposed reforms of financial markets. EU leaders gathered in Brussels are to decide on the financing of future political and economic cooperation of the bloc with eastern European countries. This is important for Poland as this country is the main architect of the Eastern Partnership programme which is to be launched on May 7 at the EU summit in Prague with the participation of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan and conditionally Belarus. The European Commission has already proposed that 600 million euros be assigned on that project until the year 2013. The idea, however, does not have the backing of southern European countries which would rather see the money being allocated to the Mediterranean Region.

The leaders of the 27-nation bloc are also to approve a plan aimed at enhancing the energy security of the Union and the solidarity of its members. The situation is complicated when it comes to preparing a list of energy projects which are to receive financing as part of the EU anti-crisis plan. Poland is interested in discussing it as, according to initial estimates, this country is to receive several hundred million euros from the fund. The plan, however, does not have the backing of all EU member states. Germany, for example, does not favor joint energy investments due to the fact of conducting separate gas business with Russia.

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