Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 22. 3. 2007

End of speculations: PPF enters Setuza

The group PPF wants through property to enter a firm which holds a decisive parcel in Setuza. The antimonopoly office should approve it. The firm which control Setuza at present is Campaspol Holding. PPF wants to get in it thanks to daughter company AB Credit. Than Setuza will be in hands of PPF entrepreneur, Petr Kellner, and the firm Via Chem. However, the step of PPF has to be approved by the Office for the Protection of Competition. Campaspol come at a share in Setuza at the beginning of February when from the firm M.L. Moran it bought hundred percent in the firm Český olej, which holds in possession the most the enterprise in Ústí. M.L. Moran obtained the food giant directly from an entrepreneur Tomáš Pitr.

Farmers will not block borders, they will only demonstrate

Farmers will only demonstrated instead of planned blockade on Monday on border crossing with Austria in Dolní Dvořiště. According to a president of the Agrarian Chamber Jan Veleba an emergency staff decided on a milder form of protest on base of results of Wednesday negotiation on which representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers, processors and trade chains met. At the mention meeting, according to expectation, especially basic-industry producer and processor feel growing imports mainly of pig meat as a problem which decreases their competitiveness on domestic market. Representatives of retail stated that in particular cases they have sometimes problem to secure enough meat in required quality and then they have to secure the deliveries by means of import. Nevertheless, they declared their will to negotiate further on domestic supplies with basic-industry producers.

Budvar lost the action for trademark in Italy

American brewery Anheuser-Bush won a legal act in Italy with Budějovice Budvar. Italian court ordered to cancel three registered trademarks which Budvar used in Italy. Both firms lead tens of legal processes all over the world. Budějovice Budvar is allowed no longer use trademarks with the name Budweiser Budbrau and Budweiser Budvar. Court of Appeal also reject to Czech brewery to use the name Budweiser as a mark of geographical origin.

Volume of supports for food producers should increase in next period

More money then at present should go to support food industry in next period. Only in the new program for drawing money from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, roughly 3,75 billion crowns is allotted for food producers in measures for the years 2007 - 2013. In years 2004-2006 support of branches from various resources, both national and operational programs managed by ministries of agriculture and industry and trade, represented about one billion crowns. It was reported by the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič at today's Žofín forum.