12/3/2025 |Articles are machine translated
Participants in the poll were (from left) Miroslav Záhorec, Miroslav Dvořák, David Kříž, Lukáš Rosůlek, Petr Michník and Petr Mašek: AutoSAP
Should the government specifically support the automotive sector / selected companies in green transformation? What should be the Czech Republic’s priorities in European policy in terms of the automotive sector? And what changes can actually be realistically enforced in the current green legislation? We asked managers of several companies in the automotive sector, finalists and suppliers. Read how Petr Michník, David Kříž, Miroslav Dvořák, Petr Mašek, Lukáš Rosůlek and Miroslav Záhorec see it.
Petr Michník | Head of Administrative Division | Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech, passenger car manufacturer:
In the short term, it was crucial to reconsider the penalties for exceeding CO2 emission limits, which unfairly affect car manufacturers. The transition to electric vehicles is not just a matter of manufacturers; factors such as inadequate infrastructure or the almost non-existent European supply chain for electric mobility come into play. In the long term, the Czech Republic should push for a pragmatic EU industrial agreement covering the entire value chain – from research and manufacturing to energy, infrastructure and recycling – with an emphasis on digitalisation and sustainability. Europe needs to be competitive in the global market and create the conditions for low-cost production of electric vehicles. It is also important to maintain technological neutrality, promoting innovation and research across industrial sectors. The European Union urgently needs a realistic approach to ESG responsibility, given the availability of information and the cost of collecting it. For all future legislation, it is crucial to ensure predictability, appropriate timing, open consultation, as well as a gap of at least three years between the adoption of regulations and their implementation and timely secondary legislation.
David Kříž | General Manager | Iveco Czech Republic, manufacturer and dealer of intercity buses | Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of AutoSAP’s Final Vehicle Manufacturers Division:
The automotive industry has been facing an unprecedented regulatory storm for some time. Given the key role of the automotive industry for the Czech Republic, the priority should be to rationalise the approach to all regulatory measures and align them with the need to remain competitive with non-European manufacturers and to support an overall industrial “deal” that will be built on the pillars of supporting innovation, cheaper energy prices, availability of essential raw materials and an educated population in key sectors.
Miroslav Dvořák | Chairman of the Board of MOTOR JIKOV Group, foundry, engineering production | Vice President and Vice Chairman of the Division of Suppliers and Special Purpose Organizations of AutoSAP:
The Czech Republic should push to delay the “hysteria” around electromobility. The question is whether we have enough power as a small country. The European Parliament is full of people who are pushing for a drastic way of reducing emissions without taking into account the real impact on industry.
Petr Mašek | Managing Director of Piston Rings Komarov, manufacturer of piston rings | Vice President of AutoSAP:
In my opinion, the Czech Republic should have three priorities in European policy. Firstly, we need to tighten up the setting of realistic requirements of Euro 7/VII standards. Secondly, we need to push for a critical evaluation of all the existing unattainable and obviously amateurish, politically and dogmatically set measures and targets. According to the result of the evaluation, the targets must be revised and set in a professionally, physically and economically feasible way. Thirdly and finally, the system of bans, regulations and political subsidies must be changed to encourage and motivate the open search for new and better solutions, technologies and entrepreneurship. I realise that points two and three sound unrealistic and naive, but if I look at Europe today realistically, we are doing everything we can to quickly end up as a poor, insignificant and unfree region.
Lukáš Rosůlek | Country Head Schaeffler CZ, manufacturer of sensors, control units, turbochargers and other components for automotive | member of the Board of Directors of AutoSAP:
After rationalising fleet emissions fines, we need to rethink the ban on the sale of internal combustion cars from 2035, deregulate the energy sector and relax the rules on emission allowances.
Miroslav Záhorec | Chairman of the Board Strojmetal Aluminium Forging, manufacturer of aluminium parts
A minimum of bureaucratic restrictions and regulations that hinder the free market and artificially create or, on the contrary, artificially hinder demand. In the long term, energy policy leads to a loss of competitiveness for the EU as a whole and reduces the possibility of having an energy mix that allows long-term stability.
Michnik, Hyundai: I welcome the open dialogue and the fact that the European Commission has understood the urgency of the CO2 regulation situation for 2025. One of the most important tasks of the new European Commission is to simplify the existing regulation. The good news is that the Commission is already preparing an omnibus regulation to reduce red tape in conjunction with legislation addressing ESG issues (CSRD, CSDDD, taxonomy) while maintaining its content. At the same time, however, I cannot help worrying that simplification of legislation is something that the EC seems to have never managed to do.
Kříž, Iveco: The current “green” legislation or its amended version can only be realistic if several conditions are met. The fundamental condition is the massive deployment of infrastructure (charging stations) and support for manufacturers and customers through targeted assistance, incentive mechanisms, a stable regulatory framework and acceptable acquisition and energy costs.
Dvořák, MOTOR JIKOV: It would be realistic to at least extend the deadlines and allow a more flexible approach to the transition to new technologies. Unfortunately, it seems that political pressure on electromobility remains strong.
Mašek, Piston Rings: in addition to the already reassessed CO2 emission limits, there must also be a reassessment of energy security, resource stability and the energy trading system. We need to bring back the meaning of emission allowances to motivate energy savings and emission reductions and abolish their function as a financial instrument.
Rosůlek, Schaeffler: Let’s not scrap the Green Deal altogether, a lot of things make sense, but let’s not dogmatically insist on something that is not physically feasible.
Záhorec, Strojmetal: Delay penalties for OEMs for failing to meet unrealistic electromobility targets. Promoting nuclear as a sustainable source of energy production.
Michnik, Hyundai: Many customers remain skeptical about electromobility because of infrastructure, cost or concerns about range and charging. Support for the development, production and purchase of electric vehicles in the form of subsidies or tax breaks is essential if the emission targets are to remain in place. Available charging infrastructure and measures to reduce high electricity prices are also key.
Kříž, Iveco: Government has an important role to play in facilitating and accelerating the transition to more sustainable mobility. We see its role as supporting infrastructure deployment and ensuring affordable energy.
Dvořák, MOTOR JIKOV: It should definitely not support the demand for electric cars with subsidies – this distorts the market and in the end only supports the big players. Subsidies are not the solution, Europe is bleeding on them. Instead, it should support the development and research of alternative technologies and maintain the competitiveness of the industry.
Mašek, Piston Rings: In my opinion, the biggest benefit would be to remove the discriminations that tilt the playing field heavily in favour of non-European industry. I think it is fundamentally wrong for politicians to decide which products and technologies to subsidise and which not to. That has never worked out well so far. Policy can set boundaries within which to operate and should encourage research so that there are as many possible solutions as possible. It is then up to the customers to decide what gets through.
Rosůlek, Schaeffler: In the Beskydy Mountains, a colleague told me, “Whoever they help is badly treated.” And it’s about not harming the good. In my career, I’ve learned that companies are best able to help themselves. What we need from government is security, a functioning infrastructure, modern legislation, an education strategy, and care for those in need. We can handle the rest.
Záhorec, Strojmetal: Any artificial support and stimulation of demand is ineffective in the long run and leads to a deeper breakdown of market functioning. In the short term, support may appear to be a supportive stimulus. It is preferable to keep the market free and not artificially bind ourselves with restrictive conditions that do not exist outside the EU.
