12. 12. 2001
CEZ is ready to enter the EU
CEZ Power Company welcome the preliminary "Chapter on Energy" which was adopted within the framework of the initial discussions between the EU and the Czech Republic. CEZ, the largest domestic producer of electricity, is in every respect prepared for joining the EU.
"We have been maintaining compliance with EU technical, ecological and organisational requirements for several years already," said the CEZ Managing Director Jaroslav Mil in connection with this issue. "Our industrial branch entered the European Union as early as in 1996, when the Czech electrification system was interconnected with the West European network. CEZ consequently invested considerable funds into power plants, with the aim of achieving compliance with EU standards," added Mr. Jaroslav Mil.
Other large amounts had to be invested into the environmental protection scheme. An investment-demanding ecological programme, which was carried out between 1992 and 1998, cost CEZ 45 billion crowns. The oldest coal-fired power plants were phased out, the remaining ones were desulphurised. In this way the emission output of sulphur dioxide was reduced by more than 90 %, and the CEZ-operated power plants consequently attained compliance with the strict emission limits set by EU legislation as early as in 1999. Power plants were equipped with modern control systems within the framework of this programme, and other measures were carried out in order to ensure that the electricity supplied to the Czech transmission network has the same quality as in Western Europe, which is crucial for modern technologies. CEZ is currently implementing an environmental protection management system according to the international Standard ISO 14001. This scheme will have been implemented in all standard power plants by the end of the year 2001.
The parameters of the nuclear power plants, which were to a certain extent linked with the successful adoption of the Chapter on Energy, are better than the EU average and according to some indicators are ranked among the best in the world. The European Union regards the process of liberalising the electricity market as one of its priorities. Its first stage in the Czech Republic starts on January 1 next year and the entire process should be finalised in 2006, when individual households will be able to choose their own electricity supplier.
"CEZ welcomes the market liberalisation and is responding to the new circumstances by introducing a new commercial programme "Rainbow Energy," said Mr. Jaroslav Mil. "Our interest as well as the interest of all consumers, is that the liberalisation process is carried out as quickly as possible, so that customers can make use of the benefits resulting from the newly opened market," concluded Mr. Mil.
Ladislav Kriz, CEZ Press Officer