Fico Believes Reducing Electricity Prices Will Be Key Issue for V4

        Bratislava, 10 September (TASR) - It is important for the Visegrad Four (V4) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), when preparing the EU budget for the coming years, to maintain the common agricultural policy, while taking into account the specific circumstances of each country, and to continue to strive to eliminate regional disparities, stated Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on Thursday following a meeting of the premiers of the V4 countries and Ireland at Bratislava Castle.
        Fico also called on the V4 leaders to coordinate their common positions ahead of every European Council meeting. He believes that a key common issue for the V4 countries will be efforts to reduce electricity prices. Fico declared that the V4 is once again vibrant and capable of adopting joint stances on the most pressing issues.
        According to the V4 prime ministers, high electricity prices are harming competitiveness. "We'll be extremely proactive and will put forward specific proposals - even outside the framework of European Council meetings - on what we can do to bring electricity prices down," stated the Slovak premier, mentioning, for example, the issue of emissions trading (ETS), decoupling gas pricing from electricity pricing, and exploring alternative forms of electricity trading from via the Leipzig Exchange.
        At their meeting, the premiers also discussed new sources of funding for the European budget. According to Fico, it isn't possible for the European Union to secure sufficient funding without increased contributions from member states and new sources. "We agree on some new sources, while on others we maintain that it isn't possible to create a new source by cutting national revenue destined for the state budget," he remarked, referring to the revenue from ETS. "We can't accept that part of this revenue should be taken and used as a new source of funding within the European Union," he stated.
        Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, whose country currently holds the EU Council presidency, announced at a press conference alongside the V4 premiers that the Irish Presidency will present a proposal for a new European budget within a few weeks. "I've come to gain a better understanding of this region's priorities and concerns," he said, adding that the Irish Presidency comes at a critical time for Europe, given the challenging geopolitical situation. It is therefore of the utmost importance to reach an agreement on the future budget as soon as possible.
        Martin also expressed his support for EU enlargement, as the accession of new members is "an investment in Europe and its prosperity". According to the Slovak prime minister, the V4 countries are also in agreement on EU enlargement, which is why they didn't devote much attention to this topic. "It would be a shame to waste precious time on far-reaching discussions about the enlargement of the European Union when we essentially share the same view. This also applies to migration, on which we share the same view," stated Fico.