Complete transcript of what was said today in the House.
MEP Ivan Adamec : Thank you, Mr President.
Colleagues, colleagues, Minister, I am addressing you by asking quotes of a very popular lithium case. Lithium is the metal of the future, it's metal that is lighter than water, that is, it floats. It is a metal that keeps electricity well and, among other things, is used in modern battery designs. Unfortunately, something we have probably done, most of us, did not count when a political cause had been made before the elections in the Lithuanian mining memorandum. I remember when there was an extraordinary meeting in the spare space. It was very unpleasant to talk about the day's robbery. It was said that this is a bigger problem than OKD. There was a threat of criminal charges here. Ultimately, it was a cause that, in my opinion, influenced the choices that came later. Even from my own experience, I have such a comic event in the pre-election campaign, when at a meeting with the seniors, the representative of one unnamed party quite seriously argued that if the Czech Republic leaves it and will take it alone, it will pay good pensions for it. It really did happen so far.
I want to ask at this point because we have elections afterwards, I think there is a need to find a rational solution, because it is no different at what stage is a memorandum with the Australian company European Metals Holdings. Whether an appendix to this Memorandum is signed or is being prepared, or whether the ministry or the Minister personally has some other model to run the mining of this modern metal very much needed for today's modern industry. That has a question. I'll see if I'll ask further. Thank you. ***
Petr Fiala, Deputy Chairman of the PSP : Thank you, please, and the Minister for the answer. Please, Minister.
Minister of Industry and Trade Tom£ H£ner Thank you for your word, Mr President. Ladies and gentlemen, I would say that he could not have asked the question at a more appropriate time, because today, as I am remembered, European Metals Holding has in essence sent notice of this memorandum in the form of a declaration of invalidity. By this step, I definitely wanted to put an end to the various misinterpretations, speculations that appeared differently, of course in the media. I would like to assure that the protection of the mineral resources of the Czech Republic and its most efficient mining and processing with maximum profitability for the state is not only my priority but also the priority of the entire government, and as I said, because there was a confirmation of this memorandum and you confirmed it a lot of speculation, we have been sincere since my accession to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and have tried to communicate with the top representatives of this company. As I told your colleague about three weeks ago, we tried to explain to the company that we were to dispel concerns about these impacts from this memorandum into, say, some possible litigation, we made it clear what we expect from this company that we expect it , what do we do, that is, in the form of that amendment, to empty it legally in such a way that both parties will honestly declare that they do not feel the lawful obligations under this memorandum and are bound to arbitrary arbitrations, unfortunately, in earnest reasonable communication, I appeal that the representatives of this company to the memorandum. I have to say, we have not received any real and adequate response to them today, so we have come to this act of declaring this memorandum to be invalid in order to clearly declare what you think about this memorandum. Thanks for your attention.
PSA Deputy Chairman Petr Fiala : Thank you, Minister. Is the MP interested in a supplementary question? She has, so a supplementary question to the Minister.
MEP Ivan Adamec : Thank you, Mr President. Dear Minister, colleagues and colleagues, I would ask how we will continue to do so, because, of course, the memorandum has ended on our side, it will show what the company will do if it wants to claim its rights. I think the memorandum is a sign of a commitment, but I'm not a lawyer, I do not want to evaluate it here, the minister and the ministry have to know the ministry better, so maybe it's good that one stage has ended. we will get rid of that political part. And now I'm interested in what's going to happen, because lithium, if it is there, I need to start to benefit from it, so the Czech Republic can benefit from it and, of course, we would, as I say, some players on the market with this modern light metal.
PSP Deputy Chairman Petr Fiala : The Minister answers the supplementary question.
Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic Tom£ H£ner From the legal point of view, this company is currently conducting a lithium deposit survey. This case is absolutely not related to this memorandum because it deals with the cooperation in the field of extraction, processing and sale of this product, so the company continues to carry out the survey, evaluates the effectiveness of this potential mining and it is how it decides under the Czech law and in our mining efficiency, let's say, not only in the exploration but in the subsequent extraction, that is, the memorandum is not related to it at all.
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