EURACTIV.cz
Czech FM: Visegrad countries will continue to promote EU enlargement
The Visegrad countries will need some time to close the ditches they have dug in recent years, Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček told EURACTIV.cz in an interview. He also voiced doubts about the need for a reform of EU membership negotiations, demanded by France, saying the process is already reversible at any stage.
Banker: ‘Massive positive change’ underway for building renovation
The energy performance contract model can turn energy efficiency renovation of buildings into a truly popular policy objective among politicians in Central and Eastern Europe because it can be done without any use of public money and has no impact on public debt, says Ivan Lesay.
Svoboda MEP: Europe needs a copyright regime for the internet age
European copyright law is stuck somewhere around 2000, in the era of satellite and cable broadcasting, not the internet age. That is why a copyright reform is needed, says Pavel Svoboda, the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs.
German think-tank: EU’s 32% renewable energy target ’still unambitious’
The 32% renewable energy target agreed by EU negotiators last week is still “much lower” than what would be needed to reach the Paris goals on climate change, argue experts at the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Germany.
UK has yet to see post-Brexit challenges, former Irish minister says
Britain, the former sick man of Europe, has seen its economy grow strongly in the EU. It is making a major mistake by leaving the bloc and the customs union and does not even realise what serious challenges it will face in the future, says former Irish minister Dara Murphy.
Finance expert: Small-scale energy efficiency loans deserve more EU attention
There are many creative ways to finance small-scale energy efficiency projects such as building renovations, but they need to be discussed more at the European Commission level, and defined more precisely, Jessica Stromback told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Tomáš Zdechovský: The EU begins in the stomach of a Czech citizen
The Czechs do not know anything about the EU’s global strategies or the interconnection of energy networks. But they know very well that they can buy cheaper and better food in Germany, says MEP Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP).
Czech MEP: ‘We cannot blame Brussels for our own failures’
We have to stop the “us” and “them” rhetoric in which we blame the European institutions, says Martina Dlabajová, a Czech liberal MEP and member of the ANO movement which is heading for victory in the upcoming Czech parliamentary elections.
Czech analyst: Eastern Europeans have lost faith in the EU
When countries in Central and Eastern Europe joined the EU, their expectations were high. Above all, they thought that they would quickly reach a Western standard living, Irah Kučerová told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Zahradil: Visegrád must be firm vis-à-vis Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron is applying a divide and rule strategy against the Visegrád Group, Czech lawmaker Jan Zahradil told EURACTIV.cz.
Rasmussen: Europe has to invest more to be secure
The world has changed and there is a long list of things that Europe should do to protect itself. First, we have to increase defence spending, Anders Fogh Rasmussen told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Gierek: Energy efficiency requires huge investment, but it will pay back
I do not exclude the 40% energy efficiency target on condition that all three stages of the energy flow are included, Adam Gierek told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Csenger-Zalán: A strong Europe is only possible with strong nations
There’s no mistaking his Fidesz credentials. Brussels needs to back off, and refugees remain unwelcome, Zsolt Csenger-Zalán, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Hungary‘s National Assembly, told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Takács: Hungary is a successful member state
Just because Hungary has different ideas about issues like migration does not mean it should be perceived negatively. This is exactly why we are fed up, Szábolcs Takács told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Jarábik: Orbán knows EU can’t lose Hungary
It is hard to believe that a private university may lead to the expulsion of a member state. If the European Commission is going to support the opposition against Orbán, it is not going to help regain its credibility among member states, Balász Jarábik told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Green MEP: Hungarian argument for Paks II nuclear project is invalid
There are players in the game who are ready to take the Pak II case to the European Court of Justice – and I am one of them, Benedek Jávor told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Polish power rep: Commission’s vision of the electricity market is ‘slightly utopian’
Current market failures are well identified in the Winter Package. However, we feel that some of the proposals do not match the reality, Maciej Burny told EURACTIV Slovakia.
Böll president: Russia is the anti-liberal HQ
There’s an active interplay between anti-liberal movements and political parties within the EU and an authoritarian challenge from the outside, especially from Russia, Ralf Fücks told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Frassoni: Italians believe the EU abandoned them to the migration crisis
The Italian government is not losing support because it saves refugees. It is losing support because it is not perceived to be able to convince Europe to do more, says Monica Frassoni, the European Greens co-chair.
James Nix: Brexit could pave the way for EU-wide carbon tax
Originally, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) only came into place because the UK was opposed to using taxation as a policy instrument to reduce global warming. With Brexit, there is now an opportunity to look again at an EU-wide carbon tax, according to James Nix.
Employers’ chief: Juncker won’t admit he is wrong on Posted Workers Directive
The new Posted Workers Directive is not necessary but Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will not admit he is wrong on the new rules, Renate Hornung-Draus, managing director of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), told EURACTIV.cz.
Fawkes: Let’s move energy efficiency away from the subsidised world
There are lots of investors and lenders now who want to deploy capital into energy efficiency. But the lack of standardisation, which causes uncertainty, is a barrier, Steven Fawkes told EURACTIV Czech Republic in an exclusive interview.
Benjamin Angel: ‘Speed-dating’ EU investment
The European Commission is getting ready to launch a “speed-dating” website that should help match investors with project promoters from all around Europe.