Prague, March 29 (CTK) – The Czech Republic will receive another 870 million crowns from the European Union (EU) for air improvement, the Environment Ministry and the State Environmental Fund (SFZP) said yesterday.
The ministry has approved subsidies for several dozen projects in this sphere worth 1.44 billion crowns in total.
Last year, European finances for the improvement of air quality in towns and villages were transferred from the Transport Operational Programme, in which the Czech Republic would probably not manage to draw all money.
The subsidies will go to the projects approved in the Environment Operational Programme in 2015 that were put aside as “reserves” due to the lack of funding.
In 2015, the SFZP received 240 applications for EU subsidies worth 5.4 billion crowns for air quality improvement.
The authority approved support for 92 projects focused on lowering emissions from industry and agriculture for 2.8 billion crowns last year.
There are almost 71.3 billion crowns in the Environment Operational Programme for 2014-2020. The finances should go to the projects of air and water quality improvement, lowering of flood risks, waste processing, nature and landscape protection and energy savings.
Until the end of last year, the funding of projects for almost 19 billion crowns was approved.
This year, 40 calls with the total allocation of 20 billion crowns are planned, Environment Minister Richard Brabec said.
($1=24.883 crowns)
