Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) again criticised the European emission allowance system at the opening of the 67th International Engineering Fair in Brno on 6 October 2026. He said that ETS 1 allowances are, in his words, "destroying" Europe, and demanded that allowances for refineries be abolished and ETS 2 allowances postponed.[1][2]
Content of the speech
Babiš said that in 2020 the European Union promised a price of EUR 26.50 per tonne, whereas it is now, according to him, at EUR 80. He claimed that Czech industry loses CZK 50 billion a year on allowances, CZK 159 billion in total. ETS 2 allowances will, in his view, affect fuel and housing prices. He also said that the capacity of European refineries has fallen by 40 per cent and stressed the need for self-sufficiency: Czechia should, in his view, extract oil and gas again, but he did not specify where or how.[1][2] He also recalled that US President Donald Trump abolished emission limits in the United States in September.[1]
He then left the event to attend an online conference with European leaders.[1][2] Senate President Miloš Vystrčil (ODS) called in his speech for joint solutions to problems regardless of political affiliation.[2]
Context
ETS 1 covers energy, large industry and aviation; ETS 2, after a one-year postponement, is to include road transport and building heating from 2028. According to the Reuters agency, cited by Novinky.cz, the ETS is the EU's main instrument against climate change but not the main cause of the current rise in energy prices.[1] The fair runs until 9 October 2026 and has 1,379 exhibitors from 39 countries.[1][2]
Related articles: Brno, International Engineering Fair
Chronology
- — Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) criticised the European emissions trading system at the opening of the International Engineering Fair in Brno, calling for ETS 1 allowances to be abolished for refineries and for the introduction of ETS 2 to be postponed. Novinky.cz ČTK / České noviny
Sources
- Novinky.cz — 6 October 2026
- ČTK / České noviny — 6 October 2026