In the field of economic analysis, the study of the EU ETS policy has primarily focused on the impact of renewable energy consumption on economic growth, as well as the role of legal and fiscal instruments in the development of clean energy. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the EU ETS policy in altering the energy mix of selected European countries, providing both cognitive and applicational value. The evaluation of the effectiveness of this policy focused on the structure of the energy mix and the relationship between rising CO₂ emission allowance prices and the decreasing share of coal in the energy mix. The goal was achieved through statistical analysis of secondary sources, primarily sourced from Bloomberg (2016–2024). The research findings indicated that changes in the structure of energy sources varied across the studied European countries, due to the adopted energy source utilization strategy, resource availability, and geopolitical situations. Additionally, different correlation values were noted between rising CO₂ emission allowance prices and the expected reduction in fossil fuel use. Therefore, the EU ETS policy does not fulfill its assigned role—its implementation contributes to disparities in the economic situations of European economies and creates conditions for unequal competition.

W polityce energetycznej wykorzystywane są różne formy organizacyjne. Na szczeblu lokalnym i regionalnym doskonale sprawdzają się spółdzielnie energetyczne i klastry energii. Ich główne zalety to: uspołecznienie procesu wytwórczego, łączenie celów społecznych i ekonomicznych oraz korzystny wpływ na poprawę stanu środowiska naturalnego. Celem artykułu było rozpoznanie warunków i stanu rozwoju spółdzielni energetycznych i klastrów energii w Polsce i ich wpływu na rozwój lokalny oraz całego sektora energetycznego na tle doświadczeń niemieckich. W Niemczech funkcjonuje najwięcej spółdzielni energetycznych w Unii Europejskiej. Prowadzą one do rozwoju na szeroką skalę energetyki obywatelskiej, w której integrują się interesy wytwórców i konsumentów energii. Przeprowadzona analiza pozwoliła wywnioskować, że spółdzielnie energetyczne powinny mieć elastyczne struktury wynikające z lokalnych potrzeb i możliwości, zaczynając od spółdzielni socjalnych do struktur funkcjonujących w formie klastrów o zasięgu regionalnym.

In Poland, the development of renewable energy primarily focuses on solar energy, especially through household prosumer installations. One emerging solution for promoting distributed renewable energy is energy cooperatives. The main aim of the research was to identify the legal and socioeconomic factors influencing the formation and growth of energy cooperatives in Poland and to provide recommendations for their development. The research, conducted in 2024, covered 47 energy cooperatives. The data gathered included information from the National Court Register (KRS), the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR), and qualitative research through in-depth individual interviews using the CATI technique (computer-assisted telephone interview). The findings highlight the need to streamline legal regulations concerning energy cooperatives, particularly the dual registration system (KRS and KOWR), which delays operational start-up. They also suggest reviewing restrictions on the area and power capacity for renewable energy distribution. Proper training for cooperative managers and network operator staff is essential. Given the early stage of Poland’s energy cooperative development, ongoing monitoring is necessary. Further research will aid in creating effective tools to foster the growth of distributed renewable energy, especially through energy cooperatives.

Placing a child in foster care is a last resort and should take place after all possible forms of support and assistance have been exhausted. However, if a child is placed under the care and upbringing of foster care, it is necessary to create conditions as close as possible to those of a family. Since 2000, the Polish foster care system has been subject to the process of deinstitutionalisation. The organisers of foster care were obliged to take actions aimed at reducing the importance of the foster care system in the full childcare system, a smooth transition to a system where full community-level childcare is provided. The aim of the article is to present the foster care system and directions of changes in foster care in quantitative terms and to evaluate the organisation of foster care in the context of the process of its deinstitutionalisation. The conclusions were based on statistical data analysis on the foster care system, which constituted the background for discussions by organisers of foster care in selected poviats of the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship. The system of foster care in Poland is based on family foster care. Reducing the number of institutional foster care facilities is possible, but in the current system, it is only likely to partially eliminate them. The most significant identified challenge of the foster care system is the dropping number of foster families. Additionally, the deinstitutionalisation of foster care requires, above all, measures to increase the effectiveness of the support system and upbringing of the child and natural family in the local environment.

Long-term and large-scale power outages (blackouts) pose a significant threat to the functioning of modern cities, exposing the level of their preparedness for crisis situations. A blackout is a systemic phenomenon whose cascading impacts extend far beyond the energy sector, affecting multiple interdependent domains of urban operations. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the resilience of urban systems to electricity supply disruptions across infrastructural, institutional, social, and functional dimensions, based on blackout case studies from selected cities in Poland, Spain, and Portugal. Utilising data spanning the period 2008–2025, a qualitative cross-case comparison was conducted based on indicator coding and the identification of recurrent patterns. The results indicate that a blackout simultaneously impacts all four dimensions of urban resilience. The highest vulnerability was observed within the social and functional dimensions, manifested by the limited preparedness of residents for prolonged power deprivation, as well as disruptions in information flow and municipal service delivery. Furthermore, the findings reveal that a high level of infrastructural resilience does not guarantee effective crisis response without adequate institutional and social support. Based on these insights, it is recommended to develop a European Union-level framework to secure financial resources aimed not only at mitigating the consequences of blackouts—which frequently exhibit cross-border characteristics—but primarily at funding proactive prevention and preparedness measures against power grid failures.

In the area of the European Union (EU) energy policy, among the entities involved in the process of financing investments in renewable energy sources (RESs), the European Investment Bank (EIB) plays a particularly important role. Therefore, the aim of the research was to identify the relationship between the EIB’s financing of RES projects and the level of energy transition, measured by the share of RES in gross final energy consumption (RE). The goal was achieved using quantitative methods and a two-way fixed-effects panel model FE (country and year), based on data from EIB, Eurostat, World Bank, OECD, EDGAR, and Our World in Data for 2012–2023. As a result of the research, it was determined that the scale of EIB financing alone does not translate into short-term growth of the RE in the examined sample (EU countries). Indeed, the effectiveness of funding depends on the regulatory and institutional context; the grid’s ability to absorb new capacities (throughput, storage, demand flexibility); and from the time horizon (delayed materialization of effects). Increasing the efficiency of converting euros into RE percentage points requires better targeting (power + grid), simplification of procedures and good financial assembly with the right allocation of risks.