The Czech Republic supports the development of the EU's space research activities and the strengthening of the GSA's powers

Prime Minister Petr Nečas met this afternoon with Antonio Tajani, the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship who is on a visit to the Czech Republic to attend the opening ceremony of the GSA headquarters in Prague.

"We support the establishment of an appropriate institutional framework for the development of space research in the European Union, including the strengthening of the competences of the GSA European supervisory authority. Space research provides both the Czech Republic and the European Union with a significant growth potential because its innovation-oriented nature helps improve the competitiveness of the Czech Republic and the European Union as a whole. For this reason, space research is firmly entrenched in the government's strategic plans. We cooperate actively with the European Space Agency (ESA)," said the prime minister.

Topics discussed during the meeting also included the industrial policy and public support for the business sector. The prime minister informed Commissioner Tajani of the long-term attention paid to this area by the Czech government, stressing the fundamental importance of efforts aimed at deepening cooperation between research and development institutions and the corporate sector, where emphasis needs to be laid on the effective implementation of the outcome of research in industrial applications. This priority, together with general support for business, will be reflected in the Czech Republic's interventions under the Cohesion Policy during 2014–2020.

"The Czech Republic is among countries where industrial production accounts for the highest share of gross domestic product. For this reason, we cooperate closely with the European Commission to promote the support and development of the industrial policy. The attention of the Czech government is mainly focused on industrial production that relies on innovations and state-of-the-art technologies that provide high value added," added the prime minister.

Another issue debated by Premier Nečas and Commissioner Antonio Tajani was the automotive industry, a key sector from the Czech Republic's viewpoint. As in previous years, the Czech automotive sector has continued to grow this year despite a Europe-wide decline in sales, mainly in the passenger car and truck segments.

"We monitor closely the less than favourable development in other countries that have a long tradition in automotive production. We consider the outcome of the CARS 21 platform, where the Czech Republic is a member, an important stimulus for the direction of activities pursued by the EU in the future. First, it will be necessary to find a balanced approach to ensuring environmental protection and safety on the one hand, and improving the competitiveness of the automotive sector on the other. In this respect, an irreplaceable role is played by innovations and hi-tech technologies, such as intelligent traffic systems. In this area, like elsewhere, the Czech government supports close links between research and development and industrial applications. Another issue that must be treated with great sensitivity is the negotiation of free trade agreements with third countries because they offer significant growth potential. This issue is of top importance in view of the Czech Republic's export-oriented economy," added Prime Minister Nečas.