Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 23.1.2008

Brussels want to protect Czech beer. With capital C

The European Commission today for the first time has published a proposal for registration of protected geographical marking “Czech beer” in the Official bulletin of the EU. Thereby it confirms that “Czech beer” from its point of view fulfills all presumptions for protection of its name. If the European Commission receives no objections, granting of the trade mark would be just a formality.

Black message: Changes of climate will threaten billiard of people

Meantime the blackest warning concerning climatic changes is into the light. The Intergovernmental Panel for Climatic Changes of the UNO (IPCC) summarized results of a many-year research of experts today in Brussels into a “cook-book” designed for those who have a power to influence public policy. The report which is to be at the same time a challenge to actions describes wide and mostly negative impacts on ecosystems of the planet, on economics, and on people's health.

SZIF distributed subsidies for more than 28 bil. CZK in 2007

The State Agricultural Intervention Funds (SZIF) permanently optimizes an administration process, thus pace of payment of subsidies is successfully increasing every year. Last year the SZIF started to distribute compensation supports for farming in less favourable areas (LFA) to farmers already on the 22nd of October and by the year-end it have paid 2,72 billion CZK from the total 2,79 bil. CZK. Farmers submitted their applications last year in May.

Gandalovič: Law limiting trade chains can influence prices

A proposal of law which should limit misusing of market power of trade chains towards customers can eventually have impact on prices and can damage smaller food producers. “In the atmosphere of increase in food prices it is necessary to take into account unmeant effects in introduction of new laws”, the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič said yesterday at the 74th Žofín forum.