Central European Times

Polish aviation survives 'near miss' as air traffic controllers mobilise over pay cut

A strike that would have seen traffic cut by two-thirds at Poland’s two biggest airports has been averted after air traffic controllers accepted a last-minute temporary agreement with national air navigation agency PAZP. Air traffic controllers, whose wages were cut in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, had threatened to

Poland opens new GIPL pipeline, bringing Baltic states into EU gas transit network

Poland began operating a new pipeline that transits gas from Lithuania on Sunday, 1 May. The launch was particularly timely, as Russian state energy company Gazprom halted gas deliveries to Poland on 27 April. The 508-kilometre, bi-directional Poland-Lithuania Gas Connector (GIPL) had been under construction since 2020. The opening this

EU initiates rule of law process against Hungary

The European Commission (EC) has activated against Hungary a “rule of law mechanism” that links alleged corruption to provision of EU funds. A formal notification was sent to the Hungarian government on Wednesday, after all the commissioners approved the move. On Wednesday morning journalists were briefed that the EU’s

Poland, Bulgaria seek alternative gas supplies, after Russia pulls plug

EU Commission President von der Leyen proclaimed “the era of Russian fossil fuel in Europe is coming to an end” on Wednesday, after Kremlin-owned energy firm Gazprom cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. The news came after Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned countries refusing to pay for natural

EU offers loans to Lithuanian firms caught in crosshairs of Taiwan-China dispute

The EU will extend EUR 130mn to Lithuanian companies affected by the trade restrictions China has imposed on the Baltic country, the European Commission (EC) announced on Tuesday afternoon. The scheme will run until 31 December 2027 or until the “discriminatory” restrictions are lifted, the EC wrote in a statement.

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