Written question asked by Lord Barker of Battle (Conservative) on Tuesday, 3 February 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 5 February 2009. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Monday, 23 February 2009 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Climate Change: EU Presidency

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent meetings Ministers and officials from his Department have had with their Czech counterparts to discuss the energy and climate change priorities of the Czech Presidency of the European Union.

Answer: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met Martin Bursik, the Czech Environment Minister, on 7 November 2008 to discuss the 2020 Energy and Climate Package. He also plans to meet the Czech ambassador in London later this month to discuss the energy and climate change priorities of the Czech presidency.On 18 December 2008 DECC officials visited Prague for meetings with officials from the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to discuss preparations and priorities for the Czech presidency. DECC officials also attended the first informal workshop on climate change of the Czech presidency in Prague on 18-20 January, which outlined the priorities of the Czech presidency.The UK strongly supports the Czech presidency's focus on taking forward the Commission's Second Strategic Energy Review, in particular on energy security and on preparing the EU for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009.

Secondary information