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Berlin/Brussels – Czech Eurocommissioner Jozef Síkela opposed the climate plans presented by the European Commission (EC) chairwoman Ursula von der Leyen in a letter sent to her. This was reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel, which has access to the letter. The Commission proposed a binding climate target of a 90 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2040 compared to 1990. This occurred despite reservations from some states, including the Czech Republic. In the letter, Síkela emphasized that the ambitious EU climate policy must be based on broad political support and economic reality; otherwise, the EU risks weakening its unity.
According to Der Spiegel, the Czech Eurocommissioner fully supported achieving the so-called carbon neutrality goal by 2050 in the letter, but expressed “serious concerns” regarding the 2040 target. “Our proposal must take into account the economic and social reality and needs broad political and public acceptance among member states. Currently, this is not the case,” Der Spiegel quotes Síkela. The Czech representative in the European Commission is responsible for international partnerships.
“Unfortunately, the timing of the debate at the College of Commissioners coincided with the UN conference in Seville, the most significant global development summit in the last ten years. Therefore, I decided to address my colleagues with a letter that reflected the intense negotiations that my team and I conducted in connection with this measure,” Síkela told Czech journalists in Brussels in response.
Síkela emphasized in the letter that it is necessary to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. According to him, climate goals must not jeopardize energy security. “The fight against high energy prices must continue to be one of our key objectives,” he added. In the letter, he confirmed his support for measures to achieve EU climate neutrality but also expressed serious concerns about the political risks associated with enforcing the 90 percent emissions reduction target if there is not sufficient agreement among member states.
According to sources from ČTK, among other things, the parliamentary elections are taking place in the Czech Republic at the beginning of October, and the Commission’s proposal could be approved just before them, at the September meeting of EU environment ministers. Voices from the largest Europarliamentary faction, the European People’s Party (EPP), to which von der Leyen also belongs, have indicated that it is politically risky to introduce a new target now and approve it immediately. This could become a campaign issue both in the Czech Republic and in the Netherlands, where elections are held on October 29, and in both countries, it could significantly strengthen populist parties. (July 4)