Summary of newsmakers from the previous day 18. 5. 2005

The best environmentally friendly farmers in 2004 seat in Borová farm near Chvalšiny

Borová farm near Chvalšiny in Český Krumlov district has been awarded a prize for the best environmentally friendly farmer in the last year. The winner is presented with a challenge cup with a thousand of fresh-coined ten-crown coins, so called Bartákův pot. The farm owners focused on cattle and horse breeding and agrotourism will take over the prize on Saturday 28th May. Vladimíra Červená from the Association of Environmentally Friendly Farmers Pro-Bio has reported it today to the Czech News Agency. „They belong to the good-sample environmentally friendly farms. They offer complexity and overall quality of services provided in the field of environmentally friendly agrotourism,“ Mrs. Červená gives reasons for the award. The ceremony will also include a field trip to the farm together with tasting farm products, show of sheep grazing with dogs, spring games with horses and a country ball.

Left-wing parties missed votes for expropriation

For the second time deputies have failed to push through a new act, which would make easier expropriation of lands due to road construction. The House of Deputies had already approved of the bill once, however, it was vetod by the Senate. Left-wing submitters of the bill did not find the needed 101 votes. Turning the bill down was welcomed by a majority of the House of Deputies with an applause. The controversial bill of Communist deputies (KSČM) Soňa Marková and Vladislav Dlab, Socialist (ČSSD) Hana Orgoníková and Christian Democrat (KDU-ČSL) Jiří Hanuš gained support from 87 mostly left-wing deputies. Opposition Civic Democrats (ODS) and Freedom Unionists (US-DEU) were against it with one accord.

Overwhelming majority of farmers managed to ask for direct payments in time

From 20th April 2005, when farmers could start submitting a request for Single area payments schemes (SAPS) and national direct top-up payments (Top-Up), to 16th May 2005 altogether 19,133 applicants submitted their requests. This represents an overwhelming majority of approximately 20,000 farmers who have a right to take advantage of these payments.

Rural areas finally involved in their own subsidies

Inhabitants of rural regions themselves will have an opportunity to decide largely about subsidies from the European Agricultural Fund for rural development, which will be possible to draw in the period of 2007 to 2013. This practice is finally being introduced, based on the project, which was elaborated by the parliamentary sub-comittee for rural development in co-operation with the Association for rural recovery, regional commissioners, municipal mayors, farmers and various non-governmental organizations seated in villages.