After taking over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Czech Republic has outlined its priorities to parliamentary committees in a series of meetings.
The ministers have revealed that, among others, the Czech Presidency will focus on resilient tourism as well as on environmental-friendly travel, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
According to the Parliament of the EU, on July 12, Transport Minister Martin Kupka and Deputy Prime Minister for Digitisation and Minister of Regional Development Ivan Bartoš highlighted that the Czech Presidency would focus on measures that aim to increase the resilience of the tourism sector.
In addition, it was emphasised that the Presidency would also focus on measures to decarbonise transport and promote railways, meaning that they plan on promoting environmental-friendly travel.
“Transport Minister Martin Kupka and Deputy Prime Minister for Digitisation and Minister of Regional Development Ivan Bartoš stressed that the Presidency will focus on measures to decarbonise transport, promote railways, make sure solidarity lanes for Ukraine are working and increase the resilience of the tourism sector,” the statement of the Parliament reads.
The Minister of Transport promised MEPs that the rules on the Single European Sky, sustainable fuels for aviation and maritime sectors, alternative fuel infrastructure, intelligent transport system, and TEN-T would also advance.
Additionally, Transport Committee MEPs urged the Presidency to make greater efforts to address road safety and mobility poverty and to make sure the EU countries would unite in response to any possible new COVID-19 pandemic wave.
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Agriculture and rural development, as well as women’s rights and gender equality, are also among the top priorities of the Czech Presidency of the Council.
According to Agriculture Minister Zdeněk Nekula, the impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on food security is a key priority. The minister said that the Presidency would seek an early start for the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy to provide the Member States will flexibility as well as a temporary exception to handle the crisis. Moreover, the Presidency will also give priority to negotiations on the sustainable use of plant production products.
Regarding women’s rights and gender equality, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Marian Jurečka, stressed that the Czech Presidency would strive to achieve progress on the pay transparency directive. There will also be Council conclusions on gender equality, and the Presidency is expected to look into economic parity for men and women with a special focus on youth.
