Czech min for energy policy debated along with climate protection (Prague Daily Monitor)

Czech Environment Minister Ladislav Miko said Thursday it is necessary to discuss a strategic document on climate protection policy and the new energy policy the Industry and Trade Ministry submitted last week simultaneously.

The new energy policy provides for the development of nuclear energy as well as lifting of limits imposed on coal mining.

Miko said his ministry has accelerated work on the completion of the climate protection policy.

He said it is unacceptable to consider lifting the territorial limits to brown coal mining in north Bohemia that were introduced in 1991.

Miko also spoke against decreasing the high dependence on Russian gas by raising dependence on Russian nuclear fuel.

Environment Ministry spokesman Jakub Kaspar said that unlike the Industry and Trade Ministry, the Environment Ministry does not think that Czech energy industry should be based mainly on coal and nuclear energy.

He said this would lead to the country's effort to further raise capacities, which will be intolerable, and consequently power generation for export.

Kaspar said the proposal by Industry and Trade Minister Vladimir Tosovsky abandons the effort to optimise energy mix and to gradually reach a balanced production and consumption that would help decrease greenhouse gases emissions.

The Czech Republic produces over 14 tonnes of greenhouse gases per capita a year, which is 35 percent over the EU average, Kaspar said.

The Environment Ministry's document shows that the Czech Republic is able to decrease greenhouse gases emissions by 28 million tonnes annually.

It could decrease the emissions by 40 percent by 2002 compared with 1990 at acceptable costs and without the construction of a new nuclear power capacity, the document says.

ČTK, Prague Daily Monitor, 23. 10. 2009, News