EU talks digital future in Gdańsk, Air passenger rights reform

Polish saying of the week: Co się odwlecze, to nie uciecze.
“Delayed does not mean gone.”

Meaning: It’ll happen, you just have to wait a bit. Like for our newsletter, which is on hiatus next week because of Corpus Christi.
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JUNE 12, 2025 Highlights The EU will ponder its digital present and future. The Digital Summit in Gdańsk on June 16-18 will gather from all over Europe representatives of national and local governments, SMEs, the ICT sector, academia, and NGOs. They will be debating everything from the future of the digital infrastructure to the applications of quantum technology for the economy. Among the event’s highlights are sure to be keynote speeches from European Commission VP Henna Virkkunen and Poland’s Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski on the Commission’s Apply AI Strategy. The Commission committed to adopt the strategy in the third quarter of this year, in its AI Action Plan presented in April. The strategy aims to foster the use of AI solutions in strategic sectors of the economy and in public administration (e.g. healthcare).

The bigger picture: On June 5 Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs presented for public consultations its new AI strategy. Its goal is to make the country one of the leaders of the “AI Continent”. Poland, unlike France or Germany, cannot boast industry-leading companies. Instead, it wants to lead in AI adoption across the private and public sectors, an area in which it currently lags behind most of the member states. Per Eurostat data, in 2024 13.48% of EU enterprises used AI technologies. Poland, with 5.9%, came second to last, just ahead of Romania. But the good news for Poland's AI adoption ambitions is that there will be new initiatives and funds to access as part of the Apply AI Strategy.

Poland, generic drug producer, brokered a deal on pharmaceuticals. On June 4, the EU Council approved the agreement, which was worked out after two years of internal negotiations. They were difficult for the Polish Presidency, as it had to maintain its role as an honest broker, even though as an country it is interested in solutions favourable to generic drug manufacturers. Had no agreement been reached by June, the negotiations would have been taken over by Denmark as the next country to hold the EU presidency. Denmark is interested in protecting the rights of innovative drug manufacturers as much as possible. The compromise upholds the eight-year period during which innovative pharmaceutical companies can keep exclusive access to data on the drugs they make, blocking generic medicine producers from said data. However, producers of innovative drugs will have the period of “basic” market protection – the exclusive right to selling the product – reduced from two years to one. But, if the companies fulfill certain conditions, such as introducing a new antibiotic to the market, they will be able to keep the two year protection. The Polish presidency underlines that the compromise includes strengthening the so-called “Bolar” exemption, which will let generic drug producers prepare to enter the market – they will be able to apply for registration or funding before the eight-year data protection period elapses. Thanks to this, companies will be able to more swiftly introduce generic medicines, which will mean savings for patients and national health services.

The bigger picture: The final version of the pharmaceutical package still depends on negotiations with the European Parliament, but it is not expected to change much. When the package is adopted, it will be the largest – although not quite revolutionary – reform of EU medicine regulations in 20 years. The compromise will secure both the introduction of new innovative drugs to the market, but also the growth of the generics industry – which for Poland, for instance, is key, as the country’s drug production skews heavily toward generics.

Wojciech Wrochna's focus is EU energy security. Recent European Commission documents, including the Clean Industrial Deal, set out plans for the integration of EU energy markets. But according to the Polish government’s envoy for strategic energy infrastructure, what this market will exactly look like still remains unclear. Will national markets stay put as they are? Will regional markets emerge? Or will there ultimately be a single European energy market, which would require significantly increasing trust between EU states? During a Q&A session with Polityka Insight subscribers on June 9, Wrochna stressed that the EU must build an energy market that ensures security, provides clean and sustainable solutions, and guarantees competitiveness, all at the same time.

Wrochna is a lawyer specialising in energy and European law. Prior to joining the government, he was vice-president of a company planning to construct small modular reactors (SMRs) in Poland. He has also worked at the European Court of Justice and the European Parliament. He is currently responsible for negotiations with the Commission on Polish state aid for the first Polish nuclear power plant in Choczewo. These talks should be completed by mid-2026 at the latest.

The bigger picture: Wrochna's actions align with the Polish presidency's efforts to persuade the EU Council to adopt conclusions on energy on June 16, which would emphasise the importance of technological neutrality and cost-effective investments to reduce carbon emissions. In Brussels jargon, this means securing equal rights for nuclear energy. Wrochna flagged Poland’s efforts to ensure that EU funds from the next EU budget (2028-34) finance also nuclear energy, which until recently met with resistance in the European Commission and some EU states.

Message from our partner – ORLEN The ORLEN Group is helping to faster develop offshore wind energy. In 2026, it is opening the Baltic Power farm, the most advanced project of this type in Poland. Preparations for the launch of the Baltic East farm are also underway. The service base in Łeba is ready to go, as is the offshore terminal in Świnoujście, which is the first such facility in Poland and one of the most advanced in Europe. Find out more:

Poland’s first offshore wind farm on the Baltic Sea moves closer to completion – ORLEN Group reaches another key milestone

ORLEN opens Poland’s first offshore wind farm installation terminal – first contract already signed In Brief EU countries want air passengers to get compensation only after a four-hour flight delay. Currently, the delay threshold for short flights (in practice, all flights within the EU) is three hours, but on June 5, the EU Council agreed to increase it to four hours and raise compensation from €250 to €300. This reform still requires the approval of MEPs, and the two largest factions have already expressed their discontent. In addition, the EU Council wants compensation for passengers with round trip tickets who are denied boarding on a return flight because they did not take the outbound flight. The European Commission proposed new sanctions against Russia. The 18th package of EU restrictions, which the Commission tabled on June 10 and which has to be agreed on by all 27 EU states, is intended to prevent any of the Nord Stream gas lines from returning to operation, ban imports of refined products made with Russian crude oil, and lower the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel in international trade. The G7 has so far coordinated this cap, as its enforcement requires cooperation between EU tanker operators and British and US institutions that provide insurance and financial services for oil transport. The G7 summit in Canada on June 16-17 will reveal whether US President Donald Trump is willing to support tougher sanctions against Moscow. Ministers to celebrate the Schengen anniversary on the Moselle amid migration pact tensions. To mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen agreements, Luxembourg and Poland’s ministers of interior, Léon Gloden and Tomasz Siemoniak, have invited their counterparts to a dinner cruise from Grevenmacher to Schengen on June 12. During the formal EU Council talks next day, the ministers will discuss the EU migration pact. Poland and Hungary are the only EU countries that, despite being legally obliged to do so, haven't submitted their countries’ plans outlining how they’d participate in relocating asylum seekers (or paying other EU countries for having them relocated) in case of migration crises. Poland is reaching for the stars. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, 41, is set to become the second Pole to travel into space. As part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), he will journey to the International Space Station (ISS) to conduct a series of experiments over a two-week period. No less important, he will carry Polish pierogi on board (with sauerkraut and mushroom filling). But the date of his trip is still uncertain: the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled for June 11 but has been postponed due to technical issues. Uznański is married to Aleksandra Wiśniewska, a popular young Civic Platform (PO) politician who chairs the parliamentary group for Polish-American relations, and the couple has become a media darling. The Polish presidency’s social media profiles did not miss the opportunity to wish him well on the trip. The countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński is set to perform in Brussels. Unity, a new piece composed by Aleksander Dębicz featuring Jakub Józef Orliński, will be the highlight of the closing gala of the cultural programme of the Polish presidency, which will take place on June 24 at the Flagey cultural centre in Brussels. Tickets for the artistic part of the event sold out a long time ago, Orliński’s international popularity a strong draw. The 34-year-old is also a breakdancer and model, and has performed during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Noted The EU is about opening, protection and Made in Europe – we need fewer rules and fewer barriers to be more effective, have more agility and more activity. Stéphane Séjourné, Vice-President of the European Commission for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, said at EU Industry Days in Rzeszów. Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within 5 years. Let’s not kid ourselves, we’re all on the eastern flank now. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at Chatham House in London. Read more about the turbulent preparations for the upcoming major NATO summit in Polityka Insight’s analysis. The view from Poland PM Donald Tusk passed the vote of confidence in parliament. In his exposé, Tusk argued that despite Civic Platform’s candidate (KO) Rafał Trzaskowski losing the presidential election to Karol Nawrocki (backed by PiS), the government retains a strong mandate to govern the country. He announced the appointment of a government spokesman in June (it never had one) and a cabinet reshuffle in July. On the foreign policy front, Tusk stressed that his government managed to rebuild Poland’s position in Europe, including by unblocking EU funds for the National Reconstruction Plan (NRP), signing a security treaty with France in Nancy, and a similar treaty with the United Kingdom soon. He declared that he will not allow anti-EU policies that would isolate Poland on the international stage. Ultimately, Tusk won the vote by a margin of 243 in favor, 210 against, with no abstentions. 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What to watch next week June 12 JHA/Justice Council in Luxembourg.

June 13 Coreper I meeting in Brussels.

June 13 JHA/Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

June 15-17 Informal meeting of agriculture ministers in Warsaw.

June 16 TTE/Energy Council in Luxembourg.

June 16-17 G7 summit in Alberta, Canada.

June 16-18 Digital Summit organised by the Ministry of Digital Affairs in Gdańsk.

June 17 ENVI Council in Luxembourg.

June 18 Coreper II and Coreper I meetings in Brussels.

June 19 Eurogroup meeting in Luxembourg.

June 20 ECOFIN Council in Luxembourg.

June 20 EPSCO/Health Council in Luxembourg.

June 20 Corper II meeting in Brussels.

June 23 FAC Council in Brussels.

June 23 EU-Canada summit in Brussels.

June 23 Equality, Europe! conference in Poznań.

June 23-24 AGRIFISH Council in Luxembourg.

June 23-24 Informal meeting of tourism ministers in Warsaw.

June 24 GAC Council in Luxembourg.

June 24 Closing Gala of the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency in Flagey, Brussels.

June 24-25 NATO summit in the Hague.

June 25 Coreper I meeting in Brussels.

June 26-27 European Council summit in Brussels.

June 27-28 ECFR Annual Council Meeting 2025 in Warsaw.

Today's newsletter was curated by:
Authors: Tomasz Bielecki, Jan Jęcz, Tomasz Sawczuk, Sonia Sobczyk-Grygiel
Editor: Hanna Kozłowska
Graphic design: Karolina Tomaszewska
Front-end development: Maciej Kurczewski
Project management and supervision: Joanna Bekker, Maciej Michalik, Weronika Rędziniak and Marcin Bąba

Photos: Press materials of European Solidarity Centre, iStock, www.gov.pl, European Union.

About Polityka Insight:
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