EU prepared to help Ukraine close dangerous mines
The EU is prepared to collaborate with Ukraine in order to reduce risks in the energy sphere, especially with respect to the closing of exhausted and dangerous coal mines.
A statement to this effect was made by Šefčovič, Vice-President of the EU’s Commission for the Energy Union, on Friday at a high-level international conference on the development of Ukraine’s electrical energy sector in Brussels, Ukrinform reports, citing its own correspondent.
“I congratulate Ukraine on the tasks to decarbonize its economy included in its strategy for 2035. This will mean a cautious approach to solving the problems in the coal industry, including the closing of ineffective and dangerous coal mines. This is another area where the EU can help,” said the vice president of the Energy Union Commission.
Šefčovič pointed out that the EU has positive experience in this area based on the closing of mines in Belgium and the UK.
The EU representative also expressed his approval of the close collaboration between the EU and Ukraine in the area of energy efficiency.
On June 6, 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ratified a plan to implement Ukraine’s Energy Strategy for 2035: “Safety, energy efficiency and competitiveness”. The document focuses on the reformation of the electrical energy market, gas market, and coal sector, with a goal of halving Ukraine’s energy consumption by 2030 and increasing the country’s production of both traditional and alternative energy sources.