EC President and Czech PM tell Czech businesses more innovation needed for green transformation

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, addressed Czech entrepreneurs and business owners at a Green Deal summit in Prague on Tuesday, telling them that Czech industry had "enormous potential" to lead the way in sustainable innovation. She described Czechia as a country "of inventors and innovators" with a strong industrial base and ingenuity, and called on Czech businesses to use the opportunities that the Green Deal affords, as it ensures a predictable environment for companies to invest in innovation and lays the foundations for future prosperity. She also praised Czechia for its contributions during its presidency of the EU Council, saying it played a key role in the approval of Fit for 55, a set of climate standards which is the main pillar of the Green Deal.

Meanwhile, in his opening speech at the summit, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that without innovation, Europe risks losing out to foreign competition and the name "Old Continent" could take on a new meaning in the global economy. He emphasised that while the goals of the Green Deal are being met in terms of changing responsible behaviour towards the environment, the ambitions in terms of innovation and economic transformation are not. Mr. Fiala called on Czech entrepreneurs to get involved in the strategic changes and repeated the government's recently announced plans to support the development of infrastructure, nuclear energy, lithium mining, and microchips.