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.
Show moreOur senior researcher Jana Juzová and associate research fellow Zuzana Kasáková prepared background material for the Round Table of the National Convention on the EU on the topic of Regional Cooperation Formats from the Czech perspective. The Round Table is presented with three main questions: what position should the Visegrad Group have in Czech foreign policy? How should the Czech Republic approach other regional cooperation formats in Central Europe? How should the Czech Republic use its involvement in European territorial cooperation?
Show more PDFWe would like to invite you to an online debate as part of the Café Evropa series, this time on the topic "What has the Czech Presidency brought to the future - how can the Czech Republic build on the previous six months at the head of the EU Council?" The debate will take place on Thursday 19 January at 17:30 online on our Facebook page.
Show moreThe 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.
Show moreIf you missed the EU-Pacific talks: Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Bold vision for bold players, here you can read the report from the debate written by Zsanett Gréta Papp. During the debate it was discussed, for example, that although each country has its own interests concerning the region, there are several global problems that countries should face together, because one country cannot solve them. On the other hand, it is really difficult to establish dialogue with the Indo-Pacific countries.
Show more PDFIf you missed the debate EU - Pacific talks: EU - Security Challenges for the Pacific, EU, and Russia, here you can read the report from the debate written by Tomáš Moudrý. During the debate, it was discussed, for example, that despite the considerable geographical distance, the EU and the Indo-Pacific region are now more interconnected than ever before and both sides are seeking to strengthen their partnership in many areas, with security policy now one of the most important due to many factors.
Show more PDFAgainst 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.
Show moreElectric 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.
Show moreThe 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.
Show moreSweden 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.
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