From: "Roman Juriga" To: Subject: 6th Environmental and Renewables Date sent: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 11:05:37 +0200 Dear Miroslav, It is a very important and interesting initiative. However, I have the feeling that the important issues realated to CO2 reduction are never discussed with Central and Eastern European governements - Especially with the Czech Republic and Polad.This has enormous negative impact on the development of the renewable sources in these countries. In relation to these situation is the same as it was with the information technologies in communism. All renewable energy utilzation is peresented by governements as an utopia and ministreis of Environment are too week to apply anything... This, of course, is not true when we look on Germany, Danmark, Spain and Netherlands we see that renewable energy is slowly becoming an important part of economy in these countries and is promoted by many economical and administrative means. EU directive to acheive 12% of energy from renewable sources in 2010 was never publicly presented in Central Europe. All this is an alarming situation and dissproportion - Renewable energy production and utilization is on Centarl Europe surrpressed by all possible economic and administrative means and Coal - mining lobbiesand and building lobbies (see Temelin) continue in over-exploatation of natural (and also limitted financial) resources. Can EU do somethng about this? Can 6th Environmental Action Programme bind Central European countries and also some less responsible EU countries to support and to promote clean Energy? Overall situation looks funny - on one side you have coutries investing bilions into renewables (like Germany) and on the other you have countries who keep the prices from renewables at the level of 1988 (like Czech Republic)and build new coal and¨nuclear plants. Another problem is the drinking water and cleaning of the water in rural areas but I would write about this only after getting your answer. Sincerely yours Roman Juriga Director of the Orhodox Academy Vilemov Member of the Co-ordinating team of the Christian Environmental Network Member of the CEC working group on Environment and Social Issues in Brussels Memeber of the Solidarity Water Europe