Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 20.5.2008

Chief of the biggest bakeries in the Czech Republic: Prices of foods have achieved the maximum

Prices of foods in the Czech Republic have climbed at the maximum. However, the situation can repeat in the future, moreover, not only in foods. A co-owner and chief of the biggest central-European bakeries United Bakeries Marko Pařík said it in an exclusive interview for Wednesday's Hospodářské noviny. “Last year's rise in price of cereals and foods - it was a slap for all entrepreneurs”, he said in an interview for HN. According to him, the mentioned smack was also useful. People realized finally what globalization is. That when cereals raise in price in Chicago, also rolls in Brno or Pilsen will raise in price.

Czech farmers will not loss so much money as Brussels planned

Big farms in EU, which get in subsidies 300 000 Euro (over 7,5 million crowns yearly), should originally forfeit 45 percents of money above this sum, however, according to a new proposal of the European Commission it should be only nine percents. According to the Minister of Agriculture the Czech Republic has plaid in this change one of crucial roles. The European Commission (EC) will probably shorten less subsidies to Czech farmers than it advised recently. It results from its legislative proposal which EC introduced in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

EU agreed on prolongation of zero import duties in cereals

Ministers of Agriculture of the European Union agreed preliminarily with a prolongation of zero import duties in cereals yesterday. It should end at the end of June this year but EU agreed with their prolongation by one year. The reason is continuing high prices of foods. Decrease of import tariffs to zero was approved by the Union for the first time already at the end of last year with that it will return to their height when a situation on food market stabilizes. However, it has not happened till this time, despite the fact that the Union stated also today that prices of foods are already over their top and could decrease in time.

Czech vanes mill in operation the world leader Germany

Amount of electricity produced in Czech wind power stations grows very fast. According to statistic data of the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) in the first quarter this year the amount of power produced in wind power stations in the Czech Republic increased year-on-year by 115 percents. From January to end of March this year wind power stations produced 77 GWh, while last year it was in the same period only 35 GWh.