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Vlček: EU energy action plan is general, we need more specific solutions

by AI | 18.Mar 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The plan should lead to a reduction in energy costs for businesses and citizens, completion of the energy union, attracting investments, and better preparedness for potential energy crises.

High voltage pylons emerge from the fog. Photo: Thomas Warnack/dpa

Brussels – The action plan for affordable energy, presented by the European Commission at the end of February, is according to the Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček very general and not very ambitious. The minister stated this today during a meeting in Brussels. The plan should lead to reduced energy costs for businesses and citizens, complete the energy union, attract investments, and better prepare for potential energy crises. According to the European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen, the goal is to save Europeans 45 billion euros (1.1 trillion CZK) this year, and by 2040 it should be 260 billion euros (6.5 trillion CZK) annually.

“High energy prices are troubling not only Czech but also European households and industry. I welcome any initiative aimed at making energy prices more affordable, but I have expressed concern about the action plan for affordable energy being very vague and not very ambitious,” said Vlček. According to him, a general plan needs to be turned into concrete solutions.

“We see the future of energy in a mix of nuclear and renewable resources, and in this respect, it is correct that the European Commission plans to focus on licensing procedures for the construction of small modular reactors and on updating the plan mapping investment needs for further development of nuclear energy,” the minister added, noting that for the Czech Republic, the key will be revising the rules of public support, especially simplifying them, which the EC should publish by the end of this half-year.

“We are striving for a change in the approach to nuclear energy and simplifying the process of notifying public support,” added Vlček, who at the meeting also mentioned ensuring the continent’s energy security and supporting greater market transparency in energy.

The Czech Republic is a member of the so-called nuclear alliance, composed of several countries, including France and Sweden. The minister Vlček attended its meeting in the morning. “Generally, we think that nuclear energy is a topic that is really very interesting. We can talk about a certain renaissance. Not only is the Czech Republic planning to build large nuclear sources, but we also believe in the development of small modular reactors,” said the minister. “We demand that nuclear energy be viewed as a clean energy source,” he added. (March 17)