European Economic Congress – three days of debates about a sustainable future

From May 7 to 9 this year. Katowice is hosting the European Economic Congress (EEC), whose guests include. Ursula von der Leyen, the EPP candidate for President of the European Commission, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Among the seven main strands of debate were Energy, Transformation, Security, and Climate and Sustainable Economy. Discussions will also focus on the future of water management and seaports in Poland.

A few words about EEC

Held at the Katowice International Congress Center, the event is the 16th edition of the European Economic Congress. The renewed formula allowed the event to increase its space and attracted an even larger group of foreign guests than in previous years, including representatives of business, institutions, organizations and governments, among others. From the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Norway, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France or Ukraine.

However, the challenge is not easy – the turn of 2023 and 2024 brought many questions and doubts about the future, which the speakers will try to answer. This year’s European Economic Congress is particularly focused on issues related to green transformation. Experts, scientists, managers, entrepreneurs and politicians will discuss how to reduce the negative impact of the economy on the climate situation. A total of 180 debates with 1,200 speakers and 12,000 participants are scheduled. guests. No previous European Economic Congress has enjoyed such a turnout.

EEC’s environmental agenda

The first day of the Congress echoed in the media with a speech by Ursula von der Leyen, who presented the principles of the Plan for Europe and congratulated Prime Minister Tusk on his strong leadership. She stressed that Poland is returning as Europe’s leader. Panel discussions included speakers such as. on the spin-off of coal assets from power groups, wind power and the conditions for effective decarbonization. The future of the country’s power industry was presented in optimistic colors by Grzegorz Lot, chairman of the TAURON Group’s management board, drawing a vision for the development of a generation fleet based on wind, solar, water and biomass.

There was also a panel on Polish seaports, which discussed the construction of a new terminal in Swinoujscie, the expansion of the Baltic Hub and the future of the external ports in Gdynia and Gdansk. At the same time, they stressed the need for investment in handling agricultural products and new technologies that will change the way terminals are managed.

Today and tomorrow, participants at the European Economic Congress will discuss, among other things. about green strategies in business, waste management and making the vision of a circular economy a reality, the hydrogen economy and the Polish atom. The debates will be attended by representatives of such companies as ORLEN SA, PGE Group, Enea Group, TAURON Polska, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Industry, the Industrial Development Agency, the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Energy Regulatory Authority. Recycling, ESG regulation, energy storage and new technologies for the climate also appeared on the agenda.

In addition, a debate is planned on extinguishing the coal sector in Poland, green building, and on forests and wood management. As many as three sessions will also be devoted to sustainable Polish food and agriculture, including the challenges of implementing the Common Agricultural Policy. In sessions related to ecology and corporate social responsibility, representatives of big business will present their views, including. IKEA, Amazon, McDonald’s or PepsiCo.

European Economic Congress will not forget about water

On May 9, the European Economic Congress will also focus on the issue of water resources. The session will be attended by, among others. Damian Absalon of the Silesian Water Center, Piotr Pilarski of Żywiec Zdrój SA, president of the WWF Poland Foundation Mirosław Proppé and representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Polish Waters.

Participants in the debate will try to lean into the topic of the water crisis and the needs for small and large-scale retention. The program includes a discussion of the possibility of a repeat of the ecological disaster on the Oder River and the conflict between river regulation and river restoration. There will also be reports on investments in water management and water conservation efforts, including the key role of education.

In a separate panel, representatives of the administration and waterworks will discuss sewerage and wastewater management in Poland. The main topics of discussion will be the scale of investment needed and the requirements of the new EU standards. The speakers will also try to answer the question of whether and in what form Waters of Poland is likely to survive.

You can follow the latest coverage of the Congress on the X EEC Katowice profile.

Photo. main: Marta Saracyn