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Bratislava – On the issue of high energy prices, which threaten the competitiveness of the European Union, it is necessary to take a radical approach. Slovakia, as one of the options, proposes declaring a four- to five-year holiday from the application of the emissions allowance mechanism. This was stated by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in a letter to the President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen, which he published on the social network on Tuesday, TASR reports.
He recalled that at several meetings of the European Council, the EC was asked to present concrete proposals to reduce electricity prices for strategic sectors of European industry.
“With all due respect to the work of the European Commission, I must state that I have not registered any concrete program. I am convinced that we must take a radical approach to this issue,” stated Robert Fico. “One of the options that I propose on behalf of the Slovak Republic is the declaration of a 4–5 year holiday from the application of the emissions allowance mechanism. Such a decision would lead to a significant revival and encouragement of strategic industrial sectors,” wrote the Prime Minister.
Fico also expects further alternatives for reducing the extremely high electricity prices in the EU
He expects that further alternatives will be added for reducing the extremely high electricity prices. According to Fico, one of the factors affecting the EU’s ability to act in the world with adequate influence is precisely its competitiveness, which he described as “alarming.”
“The future of the EU depends greatly on whether we will dogmatically insist on insufficiently thought-out ambitious climate goals that are destroying strategic European industry, or whether we will have the strength and courage to proceed with their meaningful reductions,” he stressed.
He pointed to the negative example of the company Slovalco, which, due to “absurdly high electricity prices,” had to end the production of primary aluminum in the territory of the Slovak Republic in 2023. According to the Prime Minister, it was one of the most modern and most environmentally friendly companies in this field, which produced 10% of the total primary aluminum production in the EU.
“The situation in strategic industrial sectors is more critical in individual Member States than it may seem in Brussels. The European Union will spend more than 380 billion euros to support Ukraine in the conflict with the Russian Federation, which has no military solution, and the conflict literally occupies the agenda of the meetings of the European Council and the European Commission. It is natural that the citizens of the EU Member States expect that the future of the EU, which is vulnerable without a strong economy, also deserves the same attention and resources,” added Fico. (20 January)