Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 28.11.2011

Quality foods disappear from shops owing to higher VAT, hetman Hašek means

A shadow minister of agriculture Michal Hašek blames the government for an indirect influence on a decrease of quality foods on Czech market. Purchasing agents of supermarkets want reputedly the prices as low as possible, so they offer foods of poor quality. People with low incomes buy them preferably, logically. Cheaper foods are mostly produced from substitutes; so, according to Hašek, our population will be in bigger health risk in the future hust owing to consummation of foods of poor quality. The fact that the government raises VAT for foods does not help to the situation. “Those foods should not be necessarily unsalable, however, they have zero nutrition value. They are produced from substitutes. I am afraid that they will raise health risk in the future and thereby they will burden public budgets and increase expenditures for health care”, Hašek stated in Sunday Partie on Prima TV.

French court cancelled government ban of GM corn growing

French state council, which is the supreme court in the country, cancelled a government ban of growing and use of genetically modified (GM) corn as unjustified. The court in its decision referred to September decree of the European Law Court according to which France established its moratorium for growing of this crop-plant on incorrect legislation. “Regarding to consequences of the decision of the European Law Court the state council found that the Ministry of Agriculture cannot substantiate its authority to issue of this decree because it did not furnish proof of existence of extra-high risk for health and the environment”, the Court stated according to the agency Reuters.

Petr Bendl will decrease operational budger budget for 2012 against 2010 by quarter

The Minister of Agriculture Petr Bendl introduced his priorities at a press conference in Prague today. As the first-rate task he marked enforcement of fair conditions for Czech farmers within the European Union. The minister will focus on strengthening of competitiveness of Czech agrarian sector, soil and water conservation, support of domestic foods, cooperation with non-governmental organizations, and a removal of redundant bureaucracy. Petr Bendl also published a budget of agricultural department for the next year which is in a word of continuing savings.

MZe criticize Land Fund for wasting

The Ministry of Agriculture in a report on transformation of the Land Fund criticizes wasting public means and unpreparedness of the Fund management for its key change. A server Aktuálně.cz stated it today. The Land Fund should end by law at the end of 2012 and to merge with land offices. Till this time his chief Radim Zika (ODS) should streamline the office, including its agenda. According to original plans he should give over parcels to restituents during his engagement so that only the important ones remain to the state or those which the state blocks for composition with churches.