Summary of newsmakers from the previous day – 12.1.2006

Conditions of export subvention will not change this year in CR

A conference of ministries of member states of the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its meeting on 13. – 18.12.2005 in Hong Kong brought the most significant progress in the area of export competition. According to a spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture CR (MZe) Tomáš Loskot an agreement was closed on a cancellation of all forms of export subvention till the end of 2013 and added that a substantial part of these supports should be removed already till the end of 2010. “From the EU viewpoint it is substantial that in binding regulations, which should be arranged till the 30th April 2006, also all forms of export subvention of states outside the Union will be treated concurrently, rules for providing food aid, export credits and supports for state enterprises will be set.

WHO: Threat of bird flu pandemia grows

A threat of a bird flu pandemia in the world increases daily but it is possible to avoid a mass spread of the disease among people, if state offices and health organizations react sufficiently fast. It was pronounced by a regional director of the World Health Organizations (WHO) for West Pacific Šigera Omi. Omi leads the WTO delegation at an International conference on bird flu which was opened today in Japanese metropolis Tokyo. A negotiation focused on readiness of Asian countries against the bird flu threat will last till Friday.

Eight cases of BSE disease was diagnosed from 170 857 examined cows in CR

Since the beginning of 2001, 871 767 cows have been examined and from the amount 23 in total were positive. One case appeared in a cohort of peers. In 2001 it was two cases of disease, in 2002 also two cases, in 2003 four cases in total and in 2004 seven cases. The most diseased has been found out among cows which were born in a half of 90’s, however, there were also younger pieces born about the year 2000. It proves that evidently still at this time it was possible to meet contaminated feed mixtures even despite the fact that meat and bone meals were not fed by cattle and since 1991 their feeding has been forbidden expressly. Finally it was forbidden to feed with them any animals.

ČSSD refuses privatization of forests in proposal of electoral program

Social democracy refuses a state forests privatization. It gives reason for it that their social and ecological function will be secured only by the state. A promise to voters that it will keep the forests in state property contains a material which should be a base for a definitive version of ČSSD program for oncoming election in the Parliament. It should be approved by a program conference of ČSSD at the end of January. Now the state according to the proposal owns more than a half of acreage of all forests which are not only a renewable resource of wood but also fulfills social-ecological functions, for example water management and recreation ones.

Source: Agris, 13.01.2006