Minister Hladík met with the new Slovak Minister of the Environment Milan Chrenko

The functioning of the advance payment system, the National Restoration Plan, but above all mutual international cooperation in environmental protection. These were the main points of the meeting between the Ministers of the Environment of the Czech and Slovak Republics, Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL) and Milan Chrenko.

"The two countries are united by the fact that three decades ago they were still on a similar starting line. We had to struggle with the legacy of the socialist building period, when the plan was implemented 100 percent, often without any regard for the environment," said Milan Chrenko, Slovakia's new environment minister, after a meeting of the Czech-Slovak Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation in Pezinok.

He said that even today the two countries share similar challenges, such as climate change. Sharing experience and mutual cooperation is a valuable asset for both countries.

"I appreciate the opportunity to exchange experiences in the management of protected areas, because the expansion of these areas in the Czech Republic is our priority. By the end of the term, we would like to declare the Křivoklát National Park and two new protected areas: the Krušné hory and Soutok. At the same time, I am very pleased that we have been able to pass on to our Slovak colleagues our experience with our successful subsidy programs, New Green Savings and New Green Savings Light, which help families with, for example, insulation, replacement windows or photovoltaics. Green investments are an opportunity to improve the quality of life for people in urban and rural areas, and our job is to support such investments as much as possible. Last but not least, I must mention and appreciate the experience of Slovakia with the mandatory backup system for PET bottles and cans, which will be useful for us," said Petr Hladík, Czech Minister of the Environment.

One of the main topics of the discussion was the presentation of the experience with the reform of national parks, which started in Slovakia in 2022. The Slovak Minister of the Environment presented to the Czech side the system of fire protection and prevention, which ensures effective protection against fires through fire patrols, fire reporting centers, volunteers and reports from observant tourists.

At their first meeting, the ministers also focused on topics such as the launch of the advance system for beverage containers in Slovakia and its adoption by the company, as well as the implementation of the National Recovery Plan and the use of investments for insulation and savings in family houses, reduction of emissions in industry and adaptation measures. Ministers also discussed the Czech EU presidency and international environmental policy.

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