Summary of newsmakers from the previous day 23. 5. 2005

SZIF recorded approximately 20,000 applications for direct payment this year

This year the State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) received roughly 20,000 applications for direct payment from the EU by the stated deadline, compared to approximately 19,100 applications last year. The spokesperson of the Fund, Jitka Sluková, has informed the Czech News Agency adding that another applications are still coming after the deadline. The acreage, for which farmers ask for subsidies, has not been revealed yet. The Fund keeps a record of approximately 20,900 registered land users, although not all of them have asked for subventions. Last year altogether 18,760 applications were paid out in the end. Farmers could apply for direct payments from the European Union, their national top-ups and also a subsidy for farming in less favourable areas from 20th April to 16th May. More than 15 milliard CZK is concerned.

Czechia fights for money from Brussels

Negotiations on the next EU budget for 2007 2013 have started. Luxembourgh, which is now holding the chair, has come up with a proposal, whose approval would bring less money to poorer EU countries. Chief diplomats of the European Union began their first important contest for the joint budget for 2007 to 2013. The Luxembourg´s proposal as a background paper for the discussion counts with a lower budget and thus less redistribution between rich and poor countries.

Only few tourists in Czechia spend holiday with horse riding

Only a minimum of tourists in the Czech Republic spend their holiday with horse riding. The reason being is that it is a specific entertainment for a relatively small group of those who are interested, moreover, it is quite expensive, said Jaromír Beránek, a tourism analyst. It is above all children who wish to spend the summer with horses, which is obvious due to the increasing demand for summer camps including a training in horse riding. A number of tourists who spend their holiday on a farm where it is possible to ride on a horse, comes annually to hundreds, or thousands at most. In addition, most of them are foreigners. From the total amount of tourists, who come to the country, it is merely an unsignificant fragment.

Clearance of cow-parsnip set off

The town of Karlovy Vary has started to clear out cow-parsnip with the forthcoming spring weather. The spokesperson of Karlovy Vary town council, Jakub Kaválek, has reported it to Právo newspaper. „Clearance is carried out either by means of a special insecticid or, in places where for any reason it is not possible to use chemical substances, the weed is cut off or if need be digged out,“ Kaválek described the process adding that the big cow-parsnip foci have been already cleared out.