About: Czech Republic
Czechs drop opposition to 2030 climate goal ahead of EU summit
The Czech Republic said it was ready to back the EU’s proposed 2030 target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55%, provided that the objective is a collective one and that EU state aid rules do not hamper its nuclear ambitions.
Von der Leyen: European values are not for sale
In her first State of the Union speech, delivered on Wednesday (16 September), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen positioned herself as a bulwark against the unravelling of EU values that is already underway in many of the member states.
Czech PM vetoes V4 meeting with Belarus opposition leader
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis vetoed on Thursday (10 September) a Polish proposal to invite Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to Friday’s summit of central European heads of state, saying such a step would be “hasty”.
Major political groups harbour corruption – Greens’ Freund
The major European political groups tolerate corruption and malfeasance among the member parties, says Green MEP Daniel Freund, who also analyses the weaknesses of instruments to fight the misuse of EU funds.
China says Czech senate speaker will pay ‘heavy price’ for Taiwan visit
Czech Senate speaker Milos Vystrcil will “pay a heavy price” for making an official trip to Taiwan, the Chinese government’s top diplomat said on Monday (31 August).
Pompeo in Prague at start of central Europe visit
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Prague on Tuesday (11 August), public TV footage showed, to open a five-day visit to central Europe with a hefty agenda including China's role in 5G network construction.
Gas grid operators unveil plan for European hydrogen infrastructure ‘backbone’
A group of eleven European gas infrastructure companies from nine EU member states presented on Friday (17 July) a plan to create a dedicated hydrogen pipeline network of almost 23,000 km by 2040, to be used in parallel to the natural gas grid.
Czech PM slams EU ‘interference’ over subsidy misuse
Billionaire Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on Saturday (20 June) accused the European Parliament of "interference" after it pressed for mechanisms to stop the misuse of EU subsidies.
MEPs want Czech PM removed from EU budget talks
A European Parliament resolution calls for Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to be excluded from EU budget negotiations over alleged conflicts of interest related to EU subsidies received by his former business empire. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Visegrad leaders call for ‘fair’ EU recovery fund
Four central European prime ministers called for a "fair" distribution of the EU's massive recovery fund on Thursday (11 June), at what has been dubbed the bloc's first major face-to-face political meeting since the coronavirus lockdown.
Visegrad leaders hold first face-to-face talks of virus crisis
Masks and gloves will be the order of the day when the prime ministers of four ex-communist countries on Thursday (11 June) hold the first major face-to-face meeting of European leaders since the coronavirus crisis.
In political U-turn, Czechs back EU’s green recovery plan
A draft statement from the Czech government calls on the EU economic recovery plan and long-term budget to fall in line with the European Green Deal, marking a U-turn from Prague's earlier positions.
EPP proposes law to protect small farmers against oligarchs
The European People's Party group called on Wednesday (13 May) for an EU law to prevent oligarchs and land-grabbers drawing on EU subsidies at the expense of small and medium-sized farming businesses. The practice is widespread in countries in Eastern Europe and Italy.
Prague district mayor says he is under police protection against Russian threat
The mayor of one of the Czech capital's districts said on Tuesday (28 April) he had been put under police protection due to a threat that a Russian man had been sent to kill him, escalating a row between Prague and Moscow.
Czech government takes step towards building new nuclear block
The Czech government on Monday (27 April) approved agreements with majority state-owned electricity producer ČEZ setting out the framework for building a new nuclear power block to come online in 2036, state and company officials said.
US concerned by cyber-attack threat against Czech Republic’s healthcare
The United States is concerned by the threat of a cyber-attack against the Czech Republic's healthcare sector, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday (17 April), adding that anybody engaged in such activity should "expect consequences."
Czech beer gardens to resume on 25 May
The Czech government will allow stores and restaurants to reopen gradually over the next two months to reawaken an economy paralysed by the coronavirus lockdown, officials said on Tuesday (14 April).
Czech PM urges EU to ditch Green Deal amid virus
The Czech premier, whose country depends on nuclear energy and coal, said Monday (16 March) the European Union should ditch its landmark green law seeking carbon neutrality as it battles the novel coronavirus.
Commission chief warns against unilateral virus travel bans
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned Friday (13 March) against imposing unilateral travel restrictions to fight the coronavirus epidemic, as some member states have done.
Visegrad Group: Will a new wind dispel the clouds?
One thing is moving in the right direction: according to the most recent Eurobarometer surveys, the pro-EU sentiment stands at a high level in the four Visgrad countries, write Yannis Karamitsios and Marcela Valkova.
Czech taxpayers should return EU subsidies due to PM’s business conflict
The European Commission has determined that the Czech Republic must return hundreds of millions of crowns in EU subsidies as Prime Minister Andrej Babiš did not sufficiently separate himself from holdings that received the funds, Czech news websites reported.
Behind-the-curtain of the EU’s 2050 climate plan, part II
In October 2018, EURACTIV revealed how the European Commission was planning to propose an ambitious new climate plan for 2050. Now the EU is on the cusp of agreeing to implement it. Here is how the pieces line up ahead of crunch talks later in December.
EU audit finds Czech Prime Minister Babis in conflict of interest
A European Commission audit has confirmed that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is in a conflict of interest due to his former business empire that he has put into trust funds, weekly Respekt reported on its website on Sunday (1...