BRUSSELS - At a meeting of environment ministers in Brussels today, the Czech Republic refused to support the European Commission's ambitious climate plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. The Czech government's position was reiterated by Environment Minister Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL) as he arrived at the meeting.
„We have long been sceptical about the proposed 90 % target. We cannot make such a commitment without a detailed analysis of the impact on different sectors of our economy,“ Minister Hladík told journalists. The main reason for the Czech support is the fact that the EU executive has not yet presented specific impact studies that would map the consequences of the proposed measures for key industrial sectors such as energy, transport or heavy industry.
The Danish Presidency of the EU Council, which is leading the negotiations, will try to find the broadest possible consensus among the Member States. The aim is to send a united signal on the Union's long-term climate ambitions. The EC's proposal to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2040 is a key intermediate step on the road to carbon neutrality in 2050.
The negotiations are expected to be very tense. While the group of progressive countries led by the Scandinavian states is likely to support the target, the Czech Republic is not alone in rejecting it. Sceptical voices are also being heard from Italy and Poland, for example, which stress the need to take into account the starting position and economic structure of each country.
Prague's position reflects concerns about the excessive burden on the Czech economy, which is still significantly dependent on industrial production. Minister Hladík stressed that the Czech Republic is committed to meeting its climate commitments, but must do so in a way that does not threaten its economic competitiveness and social stability. The ministerial meeting is in preparation for the official negotiations with the European Parliament after the May elections.
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