Summary of newsmakers from the previous day – 2.2.2006

Czech Republic will take a credit for building of sewerage plants

In 2006 – 2010 the Czech Republic needs to invest about 69 milliard in development of sewage plants and in increase of a number of citizen connected to the public water supply to fulfill the EU regulations. Mainly smaller towns and villages have problems to fulfill this EU regulation. According to presumptions mostly money from European funds should flow in investment in water supply and sewerage; further money from own resources of investors, and also the state will take part in it. However, regarding limited possibilities of the state budget The Ministries of Agriculture and Finances suggested a credit to cover a part of national resources. The institution which will provide the credit to the CR will be selected by the Ministry of Finances.

Owners of forests began to work up calamity

Owners of forests in Southern Bohemia begin to liquidate hundreds of hectares of snowbreak. The biggest damages after the snow calamity from the beginning of January are mainly in forests in region Třeboň and Nové Hrady. The higher situated localities in Prachatice region was not afflicted by the calamity so much. Employees of forest enterprises as well as hired firm remove the snowbreaks in places where the weather allows it. There are also areas with a layer of snow as much as one meter thick and forests roads are impassable. The ban of entrance in forests ends on Saturday in Český Krumlov region where it was imposed by the municipality office due to a danger of injury at falls of trees at the beginning of January.

EU is threatened with surplus of sugar and reduction of quotas

Since the actual season 2006/2007 s threat of an areal reduction of production quotas hangs above sugar beet growers and sugar refineries. Regarding to a gross surplus of sugar in the market, German Minister of Agriculture Horst Seehofer suggested at the Monday Council the reduction of sugar production in all EU member states by one third. The proposal will be still discussed, however, there are real speculations that there will be a huge surplus of sugar in Europe and reduced possibilities of its export in the third countries.

Ecological administrative will be simplified

Permission for development of buildings and equipment which pollute environment will be easier to get. Administratively, the ecological standards stay. The reduction of approval process from today’s half a year to 45 days is calculated in a government novel on integrated prevention and pollution reduction which the Parliament approved today. The issue of permission will fasten the removal of requirement so that a competent person expresses their opinion of the application. The person will intervene in the procedure only in case of required consultation by an officer.

Source: Agris, 03.02.2006