In the Media

At the turn of the year, Sweden took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU from the Czech Republic and will be responsible for leading the Union for the next six months. Although the Swedes have a reputation for being solid and liberal-minded partners, there are concerns about the great unknown because of the composition of their current government. For the first time in history, it is supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats. Our Senior Research Fellow Vít Havelka wrote this article for VOXPOT.

The upcoming presidential elections in the Czech Republic are also being noticed by foreign media. Our researcher Klára Votavová commented on the circumstances of the election for Foreign Policy, saying that Zeman's presidency has brought scepticism towards Europe. A victory of Andrej Babiš, she said, would then mean a strengthening of the presidential office.

Against all odds, the EU is sticking to its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050. The next step is a major reform of emission allowances, tentatively agreed by EU Council and European Parliament negotiators just before Christmas. Emissions trading (ETS) will also apply to buildings and road transport from 2027. Our Senior Researcher Kateřina Davidová commented on this issue for iDNES.

Our senior researcher Kateřina Davidová was mentioned by the news portal E15 in their article about the mild winter weather contributing to cheaper gas. The article also highlights the possible consequences of the current "warm winter".

Sweden took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the third time on 1 January 2022. Our researcher Klára Votavová commented for ČT24 on what is expected from the Swedish Presidency, how Sweden wants to help Ukraine, and she also summarised the Czech Presidency.

Lots of good work, successful, excellent. These are also the terms used by analysts working in Brussels to assess the end of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In interviews with ČTK, a trio of experts, including the head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, praised the way the Czech Republic has approached directing the debates between the member states.

Electric cars that do not emit dangerous emissions should slowly replace cars with combustion engines. An environmentally friendly replacement. But what about the production of their batteries? According to the EU, the entire life cycle of these batteries should be environmentally friendly, from production to use to disposal. What measures will be introduced, how will the sale of batteries be regulated and how will this affect their price? Our research fellow Michal Hrubý comments on the topic.

The solution to the energy problems related to the war in Ukraine and Russian gas supplies was clear to the EU. It will lie in energy savings and, above all, in clean energy sources. What will energy reform look like and what plans does the EU have? Our Senior Research Fellow Kateřina Davidová commented on the Green Deal and the impact of the Czech Presidency on this topic.

The European Union's system for trading the emission allowances that polluters receive or buy to produce greenhouse gases will change. NGOs believe the shift will again benefit industry. Our senior researcher Katerina Davidova commented on the issue for Ekonews.

Representatives of EU Member States met in Brussels to discuss energy and Ukrainian support. Poland's opposition to the financial package received great attention. Our senior research fellow Jana Jůzová commented for ČT24.

Our senior researcher Kateřina Davidová participated in the conference "How did the Czech Republic turn green during the European Presidency?". She commented on what she believes is the success of the Czech Presidency.

On the occasion of the conference "How did the Czech Republic turn green during the European Presidency?" our Senior Research Fellow Kateřina Davidová commented on the progress of the EU's climate policy and energy transformation, as well as emission-free transport.