The European Union (EU) has approved a revised version of a 9.2-billion-euro (9.72-billion-U.S. dollar) National Recovery Plan proposed by the Czech Republic.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement here Tuesday, after a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
The updated plan, which the Czech government prepared in the summer, provides an additional 2.2 billion euros to support clean energy and industry transformation in the country. Another 736 million euros will be allocated to investments in renewable energy sources, clean transport and power distribution networks.
The two leaders also discussed the current migration situation in the EU. Fiala said his country is ready to contribute to the protection of the EU’s external borders, and it is essential to reduce the number of economic refugees.
“Our goal must be that these people do not go to Europe at all, so that they do not support smugglers and traffickers in human misery,” he said.
He also underlined that the Czech Republic rejects any form of mandatory redistribution of illegal migrants within the EU, calling the practice “inhumane and dysfunctional.”
Before their talks, Fiala and von der Leyen opened the Green Deal Summit conference in Prague. Von der Leyen said that the Green Deal, a roadmap for making the EU’s economy sustainable, has delivered in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth. However, Fiala said he believes the deal has not directed the EU towards “significant progress” in innovation and economic transformation.
Before the opening of the conference, a group of environmental activists protested in front of the building where the meeting was held, against the participation of certain Czech companies that they do not consider as ecological ones.
Source: Xinhua
