Summary of newsmakers from the previous day – 16.1.2006

Mládek wants ethical codex for employees of Land Fund

According to the Minister of Agriculture Jan Mládek the Land Fund should have an ethical codex for employees which would prevent workers of that office against unjust dealing in trading with land. An elaboration of the ethical codex together with a preparation of other round of restitutions and sales of the state land is one of main priorities of a new chairwoman of executive committee of the Land Fund Jiřina Bömová who took over the function. “An ethical codex of worker should be prepared which would cover some matters, which are not against law, however, they are unethical. Especially it is a question of family members (workers of LF) who evidently in some cases misused internal information and traded with plots eventually with restitution claims”, said Mládek.

Kellner interposed in dispute about Setuza

A billionaire Petr Kellner started a negotiation thanks to them he could capitalize on trade disputes between the government and an entrepreneurial group of prosecuted Tomáš Pitr. Kellner’s PPF negotiates about a possibility that it would overrule the food firm Setuza. It belongs to people around Pitr, however, also Paroubek’s government “forces way” to the firm and insists on payment of old milliard debts. Kellner offers that he will take care of both – he will buy shares from some and he will pay debts to others. For the state and for Pitr’s group it could mean a starting point from a dispute which meantime is still more and more becoming acute. Persons involved speak about that Kellner’s PPF also looks about a purchase of agricultural firm Agropol. It could work together with Setuza as a valuable food complex.

Countryside will obtain 70 milliards from EU

A state secreaty of the Ministry of Agriculture Miroslav Toman is also an agrarian diplomat – he negotiates how much money the Czech Republic will obtain from the common treasury of the European Union. In next years it will be tens of milliard crowns. Already since the next year the EU agrarian policy prepares a novelty. A new fund for rural development EAFRD is going to start work. In contrast to still prevailing production grants, the fund will be concentrated on improvement of environment, a care of landscape and a support of enterprise in villages. “In 2007 – 2013 about 73 milliard crowns should come from the fund to the country”, confirms Toman. However, the EU budget for next seven years has to be approved by the European Parliament.

Czech Forests announce hundreds-million damages

Damages to the state enterprise Forests of the Czech Republic (LČR) in value of hundreds of millions crowns were caused in last days by snow, icing and wind calamity. Especially heavy icy snow damaged in forests of the enterprise over 1,35 million cubic meters of wood which is almost a fifth of its yearly cut. Alexandra Křižková, a spokeswoman of LČR reported it.