Poland seeks to funnel 6 billion euros in EU funds for defence
Minister Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz told journalists investments would be possible in three fields: population protection; industrial modernisation, including research and development; and protection of critical infrastructure, including cybersecurity.
The EU's recovery facility provides Poland with nearly 60 billion euros ($63.1 billion) in grants and cheap loans to be spent by 2026.
"We are the first to introduce such a security and defense fund in the (National Recovery Plan) and I already know that other countries ... are asking how to do it," Pelczynska-Nalecz said.
"We have collected preliminary demand from various ministries and we already know that these needs are huge. They are initially placed at around 90 billion zlotys. The fund is for 26 billion zlotys, but this shows what a huge investment need we have here in Poland."
Pelczynska-Nalecz had earlier indicated the fund would be worth up to 30 billion zlotys.
She said negotiations with Brussels, led jointly by Poland's ministries responsible for defence and EU funds, had started, and that Poland had already secured agreement that investments could be made beyond 2026.
"There are still many things that are important to us, first of all the issue of dual-use infrastructure, issues with road infrastructure, which we want to raise assertively and convince in talks with the (European) Commission that these investments are absolutely crucial."
She said Poland aimed to end negotiations by May 27 and that the European Commission would have until June 20 to decide on approval. National legislation would need to be adopted by the autumn, she added.
Poland already spends a higher proportion of its gross domestic product on defence than any other NATO member, and wants to raise spending to 5% of GDP by next year.
($1 = 3.8714 zlotys)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Sanctions-hit Indian refiner Nayara turns to dark fleet, tanker data shows
NEW DELHI, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Indian refiner Nayara Energy, backed by Russia and under European Union sanctions, is relying on a dark fleet to import oil and transport refined fuels, according to shipping reports and LSEG flows. Nayara, which controls about 8% of India's 5.2 million barrel-per-day refining capacity, has been struggling to transport fuel since being placed under EU sanctions in July, a move that prompted shippers to back out, forcing the refiner to cut its crude runs. India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, abides by UN sanctions and not unilateral actions, allowing refiners to import oil and ship products in vessels also under EU sanctions. This month, Nayara has imported at least seven cargoes of Russian oil, including on sanctions-hit vessels Centurion, Mars 6, Pushpa, Horae and Devika, formerly known as Apar, according to shipping reports and LSEG data. All were carrying about 700,000 barrels of Russian flagship Urals crude, the data shows. Nayara did not respond to an email seeking comment. Prior to the sanctions, Nayara was selling about 70% of the refined fuels produced at its 400,000 bpd day Vadinar refinery in western Gujarat state through its local network of more than 6,600 fuel stations, and exporting the rest. Nayara, majority owned by Russian entities including Rosneft ( opens new tab, is seeking government help to secure ships and maintain stable operations at the refinery, where it has cut runs to 70-80% of capacity. A shipping source said Indian lines that undertake overseas voyages are not willing to carry oil and refined products for Nayara, while an official at a company that regularly shipped Nayara's refined products said they could not get insurance cover for their vessels in such cases. Another shipping source said Russian entities were helping Nayara arrange ships. According to LSEG trade flows, the company has used the Next, Tempest Dream, Leruo, Nova, Varg, Sard and Uriel - all under EU sanctions - to ship refined fuels, mainly gasoline and gasoil. Some of the vessels were renamed after being placed under sanctions. Evgeniy Griva, Russia's deputy trade representative to India, on Wednesday said Nayara is getting oil supplies from Russian oil major Rosneft and is not facing problems.
Glasgow Times
4 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Owner of TikTok famous Ron's Quality Snax speaks about retirement
Ron McClure has been serving hungry customers from all over the world for the past 34 years at Ron's Quality Snax in East Kilbride. The 74-year-old chef is now preparing to retire and sell the well-known business, located on Albion Way, due to suffering from arthritis. Ron McClure with colleagues, Gillies McClure (Ron's son) and Claire Rankin. (Image: Colin Mearns) However, Ron revealed that he doesn't want to give up his job, but he 'doesn't have a choice'. Ron said: 'I'm sad to say I need to give it up. I don't want to, but I don't have a choice. The problem is caused by arthritis. 'I'm alright, but my hands are my tools. I've been a chef for 60 years altogether, and my hands are now very painful and sore. 'There's no cure, but it's just one of those things you get with old age. If I could've carried on, I would have carried on until I was 90 or 100. 'I love it and I have a passion for it. I can't do any more wrapping, tapping, and making it happen. I'm going to miss it dearly.' READ NEXT: Paisley tobacconist set to retire after 40 years of serving locals (Image: Colin Mearns) Despite opening the business on July 1, 1991, Ron first shot to internet fame in 2023 after uploading a cooking video to TikTok. The social media star explained that it had been his grandson's idea to bring Ron's Quality Snax onto the global platform. (Image: Colin Mearns) Ron added: 'I'm not a technophobe, but I'm rubbish with technology. I was surprised by the way TikTok took off. 'I didn't know how to do it, and my grandson knows, so he said, 'I'll show you papa'. We closed at 1pm that Saturday, we'd cleaned up, and the customers were all away. 'I cooked something, and then he put it on TikTok. My phone was dinging like mad all day. By 5pm on Saturday night, it had half a million views. 'On Sunday morning, it was over one million; it just went viral. My business had suffered greatly during COVID, and TikTok, my goodness, it helped it go up and up. 'It made a difference.' More than two years later, Ron has gained 75,000 followers on TikTok and has amassed 1.2million likes across his videos. He also created a line of merchandise featuring baseball caps and aprons with his branding. READ NEXT: Glasgow cafe wants to rival Starbucks to do this amazing thing (Image: Colin Mearns) Hundreds of these were shipped all over the world, including Saudi Arabia and America. Ron told the Glasgow Times he has had customers visit from places including Australia, Texas, Manchester, and London. Just six months ago, he says, two customers from Aberdeen hired a van to come down and visit the popular snack bar. Before opening Ron's Quality Snax, Ron worked in various restaurants, hotels, and even catered for the Queen. (Image: Colin Mearns) He said: 'I started my first job as a commis chef in 1966 in a restaurant in Glasgow. I cooked for some of the Rangers players at the time; that's my claim to fame. 'I later joined the Merchant Navy as a commis chef. I left after about two years, as I met my wife and got married. 'I did catering for the Queen in 1986. Then I was the manager of Buck Rodgers, a sci-fi themed restaurant on Queen Street. 'I opened a restaurant in Bathgate called Chef's Kitchen, and the last thing I did before this was I was the operations manager for Dunkin' Donuts. 'Then I was made redundant, and I decided to open up Ron's Quality Snax. The journey has been good. 'There have been ups and downs, but the business grew and grew. I've got good staff. All seven members have been with me for a long time. 'My staff stay because I look after them and give them respect, and we all give the customers respect, that's very important. 'It's the end of an era, and I don't know what I'm going to do.'
Metro
6 hours ago
- Metro
Thousands of mice, rats and birds have plagued Parliament for the last five year
Thousands of pests have been caught in the corridors of Westminster, Metro can reveal. Pest controllers have had to tackle over 3,000 reports of mice, rats, insects and birds in Parliament, data from the House of Commons and Lords shows. Issues with unpleasant critters appear to be on the up as well, with the first six months of 2025 seeing almost as many call-outs as the whole of 2022. Westminster's pest team logged more than 3,000 reports of pests in the Parliamentary Estate since 2020. An army of mice is causing MPs and Lords the most issues, with more than 1,000 incidents to do with the small rodents. The problem has become so bad that Labour peer Lord Gardiner of Kimble called for cats to be brought in to tackle the vermin in July. They aren't the only challenge, though. Pesky moths flapping around have triggered more than 150 reports in the last five years. Others pests have also been caught scuttling around the corridors of Westminster. Dozens of rats and other 'mammals' have also been discovered in recent years. Parliament's pest control team has also been dispatched to eradicate scores of unspecified 'insects' and flies in the lobbies and grounds. Despite already employing baits, traps and hawks to prevent pests, issues appear to be on the rise. During the first two years of the Covid pandemic, there were fewer than 400 pests reported in the Lord's and shared spaces. But in 2022, that was at 578, and by last year it had hit 773. In the first six months of 2025, pest controllers have already tackled 516 reports. The pest control data was uncovered through Freedom of Information requests filed by Metro. The House of Lords provided numbers dating back to 2020, covering not just the House of Lords but also spaces shared with the House of Commons in Parliament. The House of Commons only revealed its pest incidents from August 2024 onwards. Some of the data covered in both responses might be duplicates of the same pest report, the House of Lords stressed. The Parliamentary Estate itself is massive, covering 16 football pitches, over 1,000 rooms and three miles of passageways. With buildings that date back to the tenth century, and its location next to the River Thames, the site has always been vulnerable to pests. It was revealed last year that Parliament has paid over £100,000 a year for pest control since 2014. In 2023-24 that figure rose to £136,000 – £10,000 higher than the previous 12 months, according to Daily Mail. More Trending A spokesperson for UK Parliament stressed it is a safe and hygienic place to work. They told Metro: 'With an area of over 250,000 m2, the number of pest control callouts for the Parliamentary Estate remains broadly in line with expectations, given the size and complexity of our building portfolio – one of the largest in Westminster and representing dozens of sites. 'We are committed to maintaining a humane and ethical pest control programme, focussed on preventative measures and the use of various control methods 'Increases in costs can be attributed to both inflation and increased building work on the Estate, though value for money remains a key consideration and we continue to follow all regulatory obligations.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man arrested at pro-Palestine protest after police misread 'Plasticine Action' T-shirt MORE: 'Brazen' drug dealers selling cocaine during Mass at the UK's biggest Catholic cathedral MORE: MPs being landlords would be comical if it wasn't so offensive
