Prague, Oct 30 (CTK) – Mainly the initiatives to boost the EU competitiveness and security are significant for the Czech Republic and in harmony with its government’s priorities in the European Commission’s (EC) programme for 2018, State Secretary for European Affairs Ales Chmelar said on Monday.
The EC released its programme last week and Czech European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vera Jourova presented it to Czech experts and state administration representatives on Monday.
She said she can see an opportunity for the Czech Republic primarily in the building of digital market.
“We are glad that the European Commission concurs with the priorities of Czech European policy in many of its initiatives,” Chmelar (Social Democrats, CSSD) told CTK, citing the EC’s intentions to strengthen security and the euro zone stability and complete the digital market.
Chmelar said a joint digital market might considerably increase the competitiveness of the whole EU.
This area offers opportunities to Czech businesspeople, Jourova said.
Out of the EC’s economic initiatives, the deepening of the economic and monetary union plays a fundamental role for the Czech Republic, Chmelar pointed out.
“The Czech economy is strongly interconnected with the euro zone, and this is why it is in our interest to boost its stability,” Chmelar said.
“We will be pushing for all talks about the euro zone’s future to be open to all EU member states,” he added.
The Czech Republic has not adopted the euro yet though it pledged to do so when entering the EU in May 2004.
Some statements by Czech politicians before the October 20-21 general election indicated that the new government to be formed after the election might decide on the deadline of the euro adoption.
Andrej Babis, chairman of the winning ANO movement, and possible new PM rejects the euro.
The effort to increase security is also important in view of Czech interests, Chmelar said.
This sphere includes sharing of information about risks, Jourova said.
She added that the EC would like to submit its proposals by the end of May 2018 so that they could be adopted before the end of its five-year mandate and the European Parliament election.
