Summary of newsmakers from the previous day 29. 3. 2005

Greater competences in water management regulation for MZe

The Ministry of Agriculture (MZe) is to acquire greater competences in water management regulation. It has been proposed in the amendment of the act on water supplies and sewer system, according to which the Ministry of Agriculture is to, for example, decide whether to abolish the permits to networks maintanance or determine some rules for including the costs in the price of water. The government is to discuss the draft on Wednesday. In addition, the ministry is to make decisions on carrying out technical audit or a modification of mutual owners´ rights and duties in a field related to water piping, unless they agree in writing.

EU Legislation development in the field of viniculture and viticulture

At the October session of the Steering committee for wine (DG AGRI) in 2004 it was decided that the Regulation no. 753/2002 on labelling, presentation and promotion of food will also include a duty to display all the ingredients, specified in the appendix II, on the label in case of drinks with a minimum of 1.2 per cent of alcohol. As to wine, it is sulfur dioxide. A duty to distill by-products, produced when processing wine into vinous alcohol, was restricted only to producers of a minimum of 500 hectolitres of wine annualy (document no. AGRI/63806/2004). Compulsory distillation is embeded in the Council Regulation no. 1493/1999 and some countries intend to ask for an exception in this matter.

Landscape cultivation brings opportunities

So called Principles of the right agricultural practice instruct farmers to turn to environmentally friendly management. At first glance, farmers seem to be restricted. However, adhering to the Principles can also bring business opportunities. The amount of snow in the Czech mountains at the beginning of this spring is far greater than the current storage capacity of domestic water reservoirs. Melting snow has threatened again with floods. When discussing the system prevention against floods the overall landscape cultivation is often mentioned. And it is the farmers who can play a pivotal role in this case.

Polish food products are successful in Europe

Polish food products flood into Europe the latest statistics have proved it. Thus, the dark prophecy of Polish euroskeptics and populists predicting that subsidied groceries from the West would destroy the Polish agriculture after the accession to the EU did not come true. Meat, smoked meat, mineral water, dairy products and patisseries these are the winners of the Polish food export. According to Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, their export increased by 31 per cent in January alone, despite the fact that strong zlotý was discouraging the export.