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The government has approved an amendment to the Packaging Act, which introduces a deposit system for PET bottles and metal cans. The decision was announced at a press conference on Thursday by Environment Minister Petr Hladík.

The amendment aims to introduce a four-crown deposit for each bottle or can, though the exact amount will be determined by a decree. The draft legislation will now be submitted to Parliament for further debate.

The primary objective of the new legislation is to boost the recycling rate and limit the amount of waste that ends up in nature. Additionally, the legislation also aims to introduce a recycling fee for manufacturers and restrict the distribution of leaflets to consumers who do not wish to receive them.

Over 5,000 new cars made in China were sold in Czechia in the first nine months of this year, a 44 percent increase compared to all of last year, the Car Importers Association announced on Thursday.

Despite this significant rise, Chinese-made cars still represent less than three percent of total car sales in the country, but their share in the electric vehicle market is much larger, over 30 percent.

The most popular Chinese-produced brand in Czechia is MG, with almost 3,000 vehicles sold this year. Tesla comes in second with 1,235 cars sold, followed by Honda with 658.

The European Commission has recently decided to impose countervailing duties of up to 35% on battery-powered vehicles manufactured in China, in addition to the existing 10% import tax, in order to eliminate the fact that the Chinese state is subsidising the local producers.

Friday will be mostly overcast with occasional rain. Day temperatures are expected to range between 8 and 13 degrees Celsius.

Devices produced by Chinese tech giant Huawei continue to pose a significant security risk, Michal Koudelka, head of the Security Information Service (BIS), said on Thursday.

Speaking at a parliamentary conference on the risks of economic and technological dependence on China, Mr. Koudelka compared the potential vulnerabilities linked to Huawei technology to Europe’s prior dependence on Russian gas, which became a critical issue following the war in Ukraine.

He also said the use of Huawei’s equipment in critical infrastructure could lead to dangerous dependencies, especially in the event of future conflicts or geopolitical tensions.

Czechia’s National Cyber and Security Information Agency issued a formal warning against using hardware and software from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in late 2018, citing security concerns.