Week in Review - Our News Digest
The Freedom Union (UW) expressed strong disapproval of a new initiative establishing a center-right political alliance. The majority of Conservative Peasants Party (SKL) leaders think SKL should remain within the Solidarity Election Action (AWS) alliance, but postponed a decision on closer ties with AWS, an ally of UW.
Poland has lost control over the Yamal gas pipeline from Russia and the fiber-optic cable accompanying it, as quoted in a yet unpublished government report. It recommends the appointment of a special team to handle the matter and to amend the telecoms law, resuming supervision over fulfillment of the 1993 agreement.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry is looking into the legal consequences of the change introduced to the restitution bill by the Christian National Union (ZChN). Insiders now say that the ministry may push for the regulation's removal when the bill comes up for debate in the Senate.
The Supreme Board of Inspection (NIK) said that the current PZU conflict arose from an improperly signed privatization agreement and ambiguous activity on the part of former Treasury Minister Emil Wasacz. Additionally, NIK does not approve of the division of power in the PZU supervisory board.
Poland was the only country to reject the European Union (EU) request to present its data on agricultural production from 1995-1999. Warsaw refuses to send the data until it's guaranteed that from the first day of its EU membership Polish farmers will be granted all of the subsidies due.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen said the EU was on track to admit new members by 2004, but urged candidate countries to redouble efforts to meet tough membership requirements. "The enlargement train has been given the green light and under the Swedish presidency, it is going to be a high-speed train," he said.
Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen (PKN Orlen) is demanding up to zl. 20 million ($4.9 million) from state broadcaster TVP for reporting that PKN Orlen had allegedly sponsored Marian Krzaklewski's presidential campaign last October. TVP says it complied with journalistic practices.
Treasury Minister Andrzej Chronowski fired Miroslaw Wrobel, chief executive at Poland's largest steel mill, state-owned Huta Katowice. A senior Katowice official said that Andrzej Capiga has been appointed for the post.
The European Commission claims that current Polish law allowing pension funds to invest only 5% of their capital abroad obstructs the free flow of capital. The EU does not agree with Poland's view that the funds are part of public finance.
This fall's parliamentary elections will not affect EU membership preparations, as the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the Polish Peasants Party (PSL) agreed not to change the government's negotiating position should they win.
Countries waiting to join the EU would be eligible to join the union's environmental agency under a new European Commission proposal. The measure would make the European Environment Agency the first EU institution open for membership by candidate countries even before they join the bloc.
