Summary of newsmakers of the previous days – 20.-21.6.2008

Bio-mania in the Czech Republic. Farmers don’t manage to grow

Ecological products are more and more in fashion. Moreover experts argue: their price will decrease, on the contrary consumption will increase. Bio-products are in great demand on the Czech market. Awareness that ecological foods are too expensive and there is an interest in them is not right long ago. Eco-farmers already now don’t manage to satisfy demand on market. So, it is not true that they would not earn their living. They go on well already now and more favourable development can be still expected”, Jan Záhorka, a secretary of the Agrarian Chamber said. There are many eco-products on Czech shelves. However, products imported in plenty from near and far abroad compete with them.

EU took time to solve record prices of rock oil and foods

The European Union doesn’t know meantime and will not know for several next months a solution which should relieve the poorest rank of people from record prices of fuels and foods. Leaders of EU member states came to an agreement at a summit in Brussels today that the European Commission will work out a report in September where it will outline all possible solutions. European statesmen should select from them at an informal top meeting in October. French Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner said it to journalists. According to them also Nicolas Sarkozy’s proposal to stop levying VAT in fuels is still in play.

Minister Gandalovič explained situation in forests to forest sub-committee

On Thursday the 19 of June at an extraordinary meeting of a sub-committee for forest and water management the minister Gandalovič informed Members of Parliament on a situation in the state enterprise Lesy České Republiky (LČR). As a spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture (MZe) Petr Vorlíček said, a chairman of the sub-committee, a P.M. Daniel Petruška called together an extraordinary meeting to ask the touched for their statements and to be able to make an opinion of the whole thing. The Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič, a deputy for forest management of MZe Karel Trůbl, a general manager of Lesy ČR s.p. Jiří Novák as well as a production-technical manager of LČR Černík got an opportunity to express their opinion of the situation.

Gandalovič’s critics. Tunnel in forests cost 247 millions

The Czech Association of Entrepreneurs in Forest Management argues that the state forfeited for almost 250 million crowns when the state forests ordered commissions after the calamity caused by windstorm Emma at the end of the winter. The association scourged the Minister of Agriculture responsible for the forests at the beginning of week. Now the chief of the association Pavel Indra said to Aktuálně.cz for which they blame managers of the state forests concretely. The Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič, who according the association countenanced alleged tunnels, does not want to comment data of his critics. He says that the responsibility lies with the management of the state enterprise Lesy České Republiky.