The Czech Republic wants the European Union to prolong a phase-in period to build water treatment plants in municipalities with over 2,000 people, according to a recent report.
The current deadline for the plants in the end of 2010. The Czech Republic would need another 5-10 years because some 200 municipalities are behind schedule, the daily added.
"So far, we have heard the European Commission can see no reason to extend the deadline," said Deputy Environment Minister Tomas Novotny.
The outcome of the talks should be known in September. If the municipalities fail to build the facilities on time, the Czech Republic will be fined.
The Czech Republic negotiated this phase-in period before EU accession. Slovakia, Hungary and Poland agreed with the EU on a deadline set for 2015.
Environment Minister Libor Ambrozek said Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek had proposed the talks with the European Commission out of concern the state and municipalities may not have enough money.
The Czech Republic must still invest (CZK) $61.2 billion into wastewater plants over the next five years, according to the latest estimates.
A distinguished panel of international experts has begun a major review of completed EU research projects addressing integrated water resources management (IWRM). The review is intended to assess the approaches and results of collaborative projects, analyze lessons learned and culminate in recommendations on the future direction of EU research in IWRM.
Source: Compiled by WWD Staff
