Poland's cement industry has urged the European Commission to strengthen support for energy-intensive industries ahead of its scheduled review of the EU Emissions Trading System on 15 July, warning that current proposals could undermine domestic production before carbon capture technologies become commercially available.
Speaking at a meeting of the Parliamentary Team for the Development of the Cement Industry on 24 June, producers said the phase-out of free EU ETS allowances, combined with high electricity prices and increasing imports from outside the EU, threatened the sector's competitiveness.
The industry also highlighted cement's strategic importance to national defence, estimating that around 3Mt will be required over the next decade for Poland's Eastern Shield programme and other military infrastructure. Producers called for faster deployment of CCS and stronger carbon leakage protection as part of the Commission's forthcoming ETS review.
