Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 7.3.2006

Drawing money from EU funds in unsatisfactory

Drawing money from the EU structural funds, which are allotted to the Czech Republic for year 2004-2006, is unsatisfactory. Especially in case of the European Social Fund, which helps reduce unemployment, there is a real danger of a loss of allotted money. It results from a material which the Minister for Local Development Radko Martínek will propose to the government on Wednesday. Considerable differences persist in drawing money from particular funds. In frame of the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), which is aimed at agriculture, it was spend about 775 million crows in 2004 and 2005.

Czechs will want uniform tests for GMO and ban of waste import

Tests of genetically modified organisms (GMO) should be according to the Minister of Environment Libor Ambrozek uniform in the EU and their results simply comparable. At the Thursday meeting of the Council of EU Ministers he will ask the implementation of uniform methodology of the GMO research. The Czech position towards a second topic of the meeting is given by the accumulation of German waste in the Czech Republic. Ambrozek will advocates so that new EU waste regulation does not enable import of foreign waste to burn.

European Union has advertised support program from area – Science and research also to protect environment and conserve nature

The European Union has advertised a support program from the area of Science and research also to protect environment and conserve the nature. Main aims are: - preservation and improvement of ecologically valuable environments (including natural forests and water flows and their functionality); - elimination of damages and land and air protection (including recultivation of loaded areas), flora and fauna – non-ecological activities elimination and prevention.

Virus of bird flu H5N1 has been detected in live cats in Austria

Austria confirmed today a finding of killing virus of bird flu in live cats. With reference to results of tests of Austrian agency for health and food safety in Mödling the Minister of Agriculture of Styrian country government Hans Seitinger informed about it. The first died cat, in which the virus of bird flu dangerous also for people has been confirmed, was found out last month on the island Rujana in the north of Germany. All three infected cats in Austria came from the cat rescue home “Noah´s ark” in Graz. In Styria the absolute majority of “Austrian” birds with the virus H5N1 have been found till this time.