Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 10.11.2011

NKÚ found out inadequacies in payment of ecological subsidies

The Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ) found out system inadequacies in management and control of subsidy payment determined for improvement of the environment and the landscape within the Rural Development Programme (PRV). The inadequacies influenced or could influence the correctness of payments provided to receivers, NKÚ stated today. The checked persons were the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) and 30 selected subsidy receivers. The inspectors revealed for example incorrect setting of sanction systems. They disliked also an approach to counting of acreage of so called landscape elements for which farmers can get subsidies, towards the area of land blocks, and incorrect determination of subsidies for the land blocks in some landscape areas and vulnerable areas.

Checks of stum look better than last year for the present

First checks of the State Agricultural and Food Inspection (SZPI) concerning quality and origin of stum look better than last year for the present. Inspectors took 62 samples from sellers this year, so almost by a third more than last year. “Of this sum meanwhile 17 were analyzed by inspectors as suitable, three as objectionable”, a spokesman of the Inspection Michal Spáčil said to E15. In these three cases the reason for detected irregularity was a foreign grape origin, so the seller should have marked the beverage as “a partially fermented grape must”, not “burčák” (stum) which has to be produced only from domestic grapes. “Nevertheless, inspection has not caught adulterated stum yet. However, it can change till the November end, of course. We have not found synthetic dye so far, too”, Spáčil remarked.

Agrofert earned eight milliard this year, but it owes 23.5 milliard

The third richest Czech Andrej Babiš revealed exclusively for the daily Ekonom financial results of his business. The entrepreneur Andrej Babiš entered Czech policy with a sharp anti-corruption rhetoric. Despite the fact some circumstances appear that also economic interests can stay behind a reincarnation of the hard businessman and lobbyist into a do-gooder. Although the holding Agrofert including already over two hundred firms has achieved according to Babiš´s words a profit eight milliard crowns over nine months this year, it is not in so good condition as it can be presumed from this sum. The colossus shows also relatively high debts; at present, it is dealt with 23.5 milliard crowns. Except profit activities, there are in its group many long-term unprofitable ones. It concerns for example the entire production and pig meat processing.

Minister Petr Bendl in Brussels: Negotiation about better conditions for our farmers is one of my priorities

The Minister of Agriculture Petr Bendl dealt in Brussels with priority questions of the future of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. He participated in a common meeting of the agricultural committee of the European Parliament with ministers of agriculture of the EU member states and members of the European Commission which took place on the 7th of November. The common meeting representatives with ministries and representatives of the European Commission showed clearly that an agreement on the future form of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will not be simple. It will be also difficult to achieve an agreement among all European institutions in time before beginning of the next programming period which will start in January 2014.