Europeum

Aktuálně.cz | Fragmented Czech Regions Need Reform

June 25, 2024

In the autumn, regional council elections will be held. The existence of 14 regions in the Czech Republic, however, does not have a long tradition – they were only established in 2000, partly due to the anticipated entry into the European Union. This arrangement is now heavily criticized for their fragmentation, low and duplicative administrative capacities, and the associated negative impacts on the state budget. Klára Votavová, a researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, presents in her commentary on research on the capacities of the state and regions to draw from the Just Transition Fund, using the examples of the Karlovy Vary and Moravian-Silesian regions.

Analysis | Conditions for Regional Preparedness to Draw on the Just Transition Fund

June 18, 2024

Through interviews with officials and other relevant actors at national and regional level, this research report identifies conditions for regional preparedness to draw on the Just Transition Fund. Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute Klára Votavová compares the situation in two of the three Czech regions that are drawing on the Fund: Moravian-Silesian and Karlovy Vary Region.

Analysis | Can the Czech state distribute the just transition fund? Analysis of its capacities at the national level

April 26, 2024

The aim of this research report is to determine, through interviews with officials and other relevant stakeholders, whether the Czech public administration has sufficient capacity and organisational capability to effectively draw down funds from the Just Transition Fund. The author of the publication is Klára Votavová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute.

Hospodářské noviny | Czech lithium reserves could boost the automotive industry

March 05, 2024

The Czech Republic has vast reserves of lithium, a crucial resource for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles. However, it lags behind in other aspects of the battery supply chain, such as production and recycling. And yet, these key industry sectors could potentially help in saving the local automotive industry. Jonathan Lyons, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute, further explored this issue and the potential benefits of lithium for the Czech economy in an article for Hospodářské noviny.

Euractiv | Special EU fund for coal regions looks good but is costly

February 20, 2024

Establishing a new European fund to support coal regions may be perceived as a positive political step towards affected areas. However, the management of this fund poses challenges, not only in terms of finances but also in terms of personnel and time constraints, which could jeopardize its effective utilization. This conclusion arises from consultations with representatives of public administration and relevant regions and from their analysis conducted by Klára Votavová, member of research team at EUROPEUM.

BLOG | Is the lack of state administration capacity preventing the effective use of the Fair Transformation Fund? A first insight into research on absorption

December 12, 2023

The Czech state administration is facing mistrust because of problems with civil servants and delays in social benefits. Researcher Klára Votavová examines how the administration deals with the distribution of the Fair Transition Fund, which is intended to help coal regions transition to a new economy. The CZK 42 billion goes to the Moravian-Silesian, Karlovy Vary and Ústí Regions.

Euractiv | Moravian-Silesian Region wants to spend "coal billions" on big projects, but they are still risky

November 22, 2023

The Moravian-Silesian Region is one of the three Czech coal regions that will receive extra money from the European Union. Klára Votavová, a researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, answered questions about the funds intended for the "special needs" of the burdened regions.

EU-Pacific Talks: In-EV-itable future of automotive industry: what is the role of the Pacific region

May 26, 2023

We would like to invite you to the debate called "EU-Pacific Talks: In-EV-itable future of automotive industry: what is the role of the Pacific region" in the EU-PACIFIC Talks series. The debate will take place online on Tuesday, May 30 at 13:00.

Discussing Ukraine in V4 mainstream media: The future vis-à-vis European integration

May 22, 2023

The project assesses the production, distribution and consumption of news on Ukraine’s future vis-a-vis European integration by the V4 mainstream media. The aim is to designate both dominant and marginalized narratives, while also analyzing their impact via focus groups. The findings will be presented to stakeholders in order to improve reporting and increase the audiences’ access to information.

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Third year | Decarbonisation of the Czech automotive industry

May 16, 2023

The climate team of EUROPEUM is currently delivering the 3rd year of its project focused on the decarbonisation of the automotive industry in the Czech Republic. We want to build upon our experience and move this work forward with a more targeted approach. We will focus on three main areas, which we have identified as crucial parts of the puzzle for transitioning to cleaner modes of transport.