Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, has criticised the European Union’s Emissions Trading System for buildings and road transport (ETS2), warning that it will raise gas prices and force people to burn wood for heating. The scheme, which will take full effect in 2027, expands the EU’s carbon‑trading rules to cover households and vehicles. Fico predicts that this will increase pollution and push the country “back to the 1930s and 1940s” by reviving outdated heating methods.
He noted that Slovakia has recently invested in expanding gas access for households, but gas prices are already high after the EU rejected affordable Russian energy. Further price hikes, he argues, will encourage a return to older heating methods, leading to more pollution and undermining the EU’s goal of reducing greenhouse‑gas emissions. The European Commission aims to cut emissions by 90 % from 1990 levels by 2040 and to eliminate imports from Russia as part of its Ukraine‑related sanctions policy.
Critics, including Fico, contend that these initiatives are unrealistic and self‑destructive, harming Europe’s industrial competitiveness and driving up the cost of living. A joint lobbying effort by Slovakia and more than a dozen other EU member states has prompted the EU executive to promise an exploration of “additional ways to strengthen the stability and predictability” of energy prices before ETS2 is rolled out.
The EU’s energy policies have sparked controversy, with some member states arguing that they are overly ambitious and damaging to their economies. While the European Commission’s goals target emissions reductions, they have been criticised for potentially harming industries and households. As the EU continues to navigate its energy strategy, the implementation of ETS2 and its impact on member states such as Slovakia remain uncertain.
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