Laura Otýpková
Lawyer and Head of the Responsible Energy Team
Frank Bold participated in the preparation of a new report examining the changes underway in the European energy sector and the need to modernize electricity grids to accommodate more renewable energy sources with emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
The report, led by Climate Action Network Europe, finds that aging electricity infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe is limiting the integration of renewable power like wind and solar. About a third of Europe’s low voltage grid is over 40 years old and often unable to handle two-way power flows from distributed energy resources. This has resulted in renewable energy projects being denied connection or facing high costs due to grid upgrades.
To fully realize the benefits of the clean energy transition, the report recommends governments prioritize upgrading grids, ensure regulations that allow system operators to procure flexibility services, and empower small renewable projects and energy communities. It also calls for greater regional cooperation on grid planning and cross-border interconnections.
“The study addresses one of the main sore points of the current energy transition in the CEE - the state of our grids - not only describing the current situation, but more importantly offering recommendations on how to improve it. In the Czech Republic improving grid capacity will be especially important as new rules allowing electricity sharing in energy communities take effect in 2024," says Jan Bakule from Frank Bold.
If Central and Eastern European countries act on the report's recommendations, they could accelerate deployment of renewable energy and position themselves as leaders in developing modern, decentralized and climate-friendly power systems. Upgrading electricity networks is essential to cut fossil fuel dependence and meet European Union climate and renewable targets.
You can find the interactive infographic with the report's recommendations here and also read the full report here.
The respect of human rights is the most fundamental value that we have as a society. Nevertheless, economic globalisation has lead to the massive exploitation of human rights in developing countries for the benefit of multinational enterprises (MNEs). The outsourcing and offshoring of production and services have had huge environmental and social costs.
The European Parliament approved last weekthe proposed college of Commissioners. Věra Jourová successfully faced the public grilling and will become the Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality. Due to the shift of competencies within the Commission, Ms. Jourová will have an opportunity to influence the governance and rules of the game for multinational corporations.
A new independent study by Czech, Polish and Slovakian watchdogs identifies major gaps both in the national and EU legal framework that fundamentally increase the risk of political corruption and allow misuse of EU funds. The comparative analysis complements the long-delayed first EU Anti-corruption report released today.
