Prague, Jan 16 (CTK) – Two Greenpeace activists climbed a several-metre-long ladder up to the balcony of the Czech Industry and Trade Ministry on Tuesday where they unfurled a banner saying “The Coal and Smog Industry,” after which the police arrived, took down the banner and drove away the activists.
The activists have warned of the Czech government potential joining Poland in its complaint about the air pollution limits approved by the EU last year.
The Czech government may deal with the affair this Wednesday.
According to the Industry and Trade Ministry report on the case, it would be convenient for the Czech Republic to joint the Polish complaint.
However, the Novinky.cz news server writes that Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) said the Industry and Trade Ministry would like to join the complaint, while the Environment Ministry is resolutely against it.
Babis said the cabinet would have the final say on the issue, adding that he tended to share the view of Environment Minister Richard Brabec (ANO), the server writes.
Greenpeace expects its members to be tried over disobeying the police.
When coming to the incident, the police officers argued that the ministerial building is a protected structure.
“Unfortunately, the thing we were afraid of is taking place. Minister Tomas Huner has been in the office for a while, but he is already taking the steps that are to preserve profits of billions for his recent employers from the mining and energy companies,” Jan Rovensky, head of the Czech Greenpeace energy campaign, said on the morning, before the spectacular event occurred.
“There is the problem that in doing so, he is also threatening the health of millions of Europeans,” Rovensky said.
Throughout his professional career, Huner (ANO) has been in the sphere of energy and industry.
He was general director and head of board of directors of the SME energy utility in 1994-2002, CEZ giant energy utility’s manager in Bulgaria in 2004-2006 and deputy industry and trade minister in charge of industry and energy in 2006-2011.
Huner headed the CEPS company’s supervisory board in 2006-2014 and state energy operator OTE’s supervisory board in 2011-2014. In 2014-2015, he headed the supervisory board and was director of energy sources of the Vrsanska uhelna coal mining company of coal magnate Pavel Tykac.
The ecological organisations said in their press release on Tuesday that European countries had approved the new, stricter air pollution norms last year. Air polluters must start fulfilling them since August 2021.
“The basic idea is simple. To clear the air in Europe from poisonous and hazardous substances. In other words, the operators of coal plants and other industrial plants should install efficient filters or decommission the dirtiest plants,” they said.
“No wonder that the effort is opposed by Poland. Due to its burning coal in power plants and households, it violates the norms for air pollutants several times, having on its area 33 out of the 50 most polluted towns of Europe. Its coal smoke regularly chokes the residents of the Moravia-Silesia Region, too,” the activists said.
