Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 17.1.2008

Brussels wants the Czech Republic to return endowments 430 million crowns

A scandal with tunneling of money from the EU fund Phare at the Ministry for Regional Development owing to which ten entrepreneurs and high ministerial officers including a former deputy of the minister Pavel Němec (US-DEU), Petr Forman, were accused in September 2006, will have evidently a tragic sequel for the Czech Republic. The state is in danger that will have to return the endowments 430 million crowns to the European Union. The European Commission insists on return of 330 million crowns in the EU treasury; on the remaining 100 million crowns it will decided later. Representatives of the Ministry of Finances and the Ministry for Local Development confirmed it to Právo on Wednesday.

Sugar-beet growers will get by 200 million more crowns

Sugar-beet growers should get compensations in height of 34,3 million Euros (approximately 980 million crowns) owing to decrease of a minimal price of this crop in frame of the EU market. Last year they got 24,5 million Euros (according to the exchange rate at that time about 690 million crowns). The Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič reported that the Ministry had already sent a proposal of height of this year's payments to approval in Brussels. The EU determines the total volume of compensation for growers in a given member state which than set up itself a way of distribution of means.

There is a lack of million cubic meters of timber on Czech market

Million cubic meters of timber. Exactly this amount is missing in offer for this year's first quarter. However, the state enterprise Lesy of the Czech Republic and also wood-working firms are not afraid of a disaster yet. Missing contracts for harvesting will be replaced by options. Although many contracts concerning commissions for Lesy CR including timber harvesting have not been signed yet, the state enterprise is able to ensure the planned volume of wood supplies for further processing in the first quarter this year. In an interview for the daily Aktuálně.cz it was reported by the general director of Lesy Jiří Novák.

Instead of support of farmers we import rape from Union

Bio-spirit which this year starts to be added in petrol will be imported in bigger rate from abroad in the Czech Republic, above all from Brazil. Plans that bio-spirit will not only improve the environment, because no so much oil fuels will be combusted, but also it will help farmers and spirit industry slowly melt. A similar situation is in case of rape from which an admixture is produced for diesel and obligatorily it is admixed in since September last year. Roughly a half of rape methyl ester is also imported from abroad, mostly from Germany. A reason of troubles is in case of bio-spirit expensive cereals which intensively increased its price.