V4 energy cooperation declaration signed

The authorities are responsible for matters concerning energy supply and security, as well as the protection of consumers, and the V4 countries (Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia) jointly seek solutions to common problems, Hungarian Energy Regulatory Office (MEKH) president Lajos Dorkota said after the signing ceremony.

Dorkota added that he had briefed his partners on his government’s steps to reduce household utility bills and related MEKH decrees. The heads of the four authorities were in agreement that the burden on energy consumers in proportion to their wages was very high in the V4 countries, and joint steps would be taken to reduce this burden, he said.

The declaration is a follow-up to energy-security issues discussed when the V4 heads of state met in October; at that time, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that “Every country is entitled to produce the energy it needs” in expressing his (and his fellow V4 PMs’) support for the region’s burgeoning nuclear energy industry.  

At the same meeting, the leaders announced their backing for shale gas extraction, i.e. fracking, where applicable while also calling for European Union support for biofuel production in the four nations.

–David Landry contributed to this report