Babiš: New EU Emissions Standards Impossible to Reach

Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 55 percent compared to 1990 in the next ten years is unrealistic for the Czech Republic, the Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) told reporters today before leaving for Brussels. There, he will discuss the matter with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Last week, the Commission proposed tightening the 2030 emissions target, the initial plan was to reduce emissions by 40 percent from 1990.

"This new proposal is absolutely unrealistic for the Czech Republic. We are not able to fulfill it," Babiš said to the reporters. The reason is, according to the Prime Minister, the reduction in forest area due to the bark beetle calamity. According to Babiš, the planting of new trees will not manifest itself until a longer time horizon than the year 2030.

Babiš also criticized the fact that the setting of the emission target was not preceded by studies evaluating the effects of such a measure on the economies of EU member states. "Impact studies are not due until October, which is obviously wrong," he said.

Some EU countries already said last week that they did not agree with the EU's new climate goal either. According to them, the problem will be with the fulfillment of the current goal.