Summary of newspaper of the previous day – 10. 5. 2011

Businessmen criticize substitute for law on significant market power

Businessmen criticize draft amendments of the law on protection of competition and the law on prices elaborated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade together with the Office for the Protection of Competition (OÚHS) as a substitute for the law on significant market power. According to a president of the Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism Zdeněk Juračka the new draft law on regulation of relations among businessmen and suppliers is badly drew up and can contribute to food price growth.

Land owners are afraid of its sale to foreigners

The Union of Land Owners of the Czech Republic is afraid of sale of agricultural land in foreigners´ hands. Its chairman, František Janda, told it at a press conference today. The ban of land sale to foreigners was negotiated by the Czech Republic at accession in the EU seven years ago; this exception from the Union side expired at the beginning of this year´s May. According to Janda, Czech statehood is delimitated by land ownership. “We do not support sale of land to foreigners, but we are seriously afraid of that such a development can happen”, Janda stated.

CR: Record increase in fair-trade products consumption: by 30 million in 2010

According to just finished analysis the retail trade with fair trade products reached record 80 million crowns in the Czech Republic in 2010. It is by whole 60 percents more than in 2009. The increase proves a trend of increasing interest of Czech public in work conditions of farmers and handicraftsmen in developing countries who produce plants and products of our everyday consumption. The most popular fair trade products in the CR are already traditionally fair-trade coffee, chocolate and tea.

Ministress Aigner wants to enlarge growing areas of energy plants

Areas of energy plants in Germany could increase from the present 1.8 mil. ha to approximately 3 mil. ha. German Ministress of Agriculture Ilse Aigner (CSU) wants to increase significantly growing areas of plants for gaining energy. The areas could increase from the current 1.8 ha to approximately 3 mil. ha. The Ministress said it to a regional daily Passauer Neuen Presse last week. Thank to it more than 45 terrawatthours of bio-electricity yearly could be produced.