Slovakia backs EU 2050 carbon neutrality deal

Early Friday, EU leaders agreed to the 2050 carbon neutrality plan with Poland abstaining from the deal due to its high dependence on coal. Another member of the V4 group, the Czech Republic, also voiced its objections. Slovakia supports the Czech Republic in its view that achieving carbon neutrality is only possible with the use of nuclear energy. Czech Premier Andrej Babis, speaking before the summit said that Prague was ready to embark on a path of carbon neutrality if it were able to build new nuclear power plant blocks. Asked by TASR whether Bratislava is of the same opinion, Pellegrini noted that Slovakia is the second most important producer of nuclear energy after France in terms of the percentage of total domestic energy generated. Pellegrini stressed that it is important for Slovakia that wording to the effect that member states can keep their "technical neutrality" in achieving the objectives of carbon neutrality remains valid. EU-member states Luxembourg and Austria are seeking to block the absorption of financial means from the European Commission's planned Fair Transition Fund. The European Commission estimates that the fund should have €100 billion available for the 2021-27 programme period. The prime minister stated that all the Visegrad Four (V4) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) as well as France have the same opinion on this issue.