• Ramiro Cibrian lobbies for Czech pensioners
    12/12/2002

    In reaction to farmers' concerns, the head of the EU delegation to the Czech Republic Ramiro Cibrian said on Thursday that he was far more worried about the fate of Czech pensioners after the country's accession to the European Union. Mr. Cibrian noted that the pension system would remain in the competence of the Czech authorities and that, unlike farmers, pensioners have no leverage on the government. The Czech Republic's entry into the EU will bring greater prosperity, Mr Cibrian said, but the question is how those funds will be used. Pensioners may go short in order for the government to satisfy farmers.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech farmers to block border crossings Thursday in protest of EU accession terms
    12/11/2002

    A key farm lobby has announced that Czech farmers who are dissatisfied over the terms of the Czech Republic's entry into the EU in 2004, are planning to block border crossings with Germany and Austria on Thursday. The Czech Agriculture Chamber said on Wednesday that farmers would go on a two-hour strike to block truck lines at four border crossings to the neighbouring countries, after the Czech government by-and-large agreed to EU proposals on farm aid, backing down from an earlier demand on increases to production limits for dairy and breeding cattle, as well as sugar exports. Thursday's blockade will follow a demonstration last week that saw thousands of angry Czech farmers descend on the Czech capital Prague to protest accession terms.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Austrian anti-nuclear activists to block border Wednesday evening
    12/11/2002

    Austrian opponents of the Temelin nuclear power station in south Bohemia have said they will hold a one-hour border blockade on Wednesday evening. Anti-nuclear activists have held numerous protests against Temelin since it went on-line in the year 2000. They say it is unsafe, because it combines Soviet design and western technology.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Central European PMs appeal for more money from EU
    12/10/2002

    Prime ministers of four Central European countries have urged European Union leaders to offer more generous financial terms to candidates, ahead of this week's crucial EU Summit in Copenhagen. In a joint article published in Britain's Financial Times newspaper on Tuesday, the leaders of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia called on their colleagues in the EU to ensure enlargement does not get off to a bad start due to a deepening rift over money. The EU is offering the 10 mostly ex-Communist countries around 40 billion euros when they enter the Union, expected in mid-2004. The amount is around two billion euros less than the financial package agreed by EU leaders in 1999. Several candidates, led by Poland, are campaigning hard for a better deal.
    Author: Rob Cameron

  • Slow progress towards deal on financial terms of enlargement
    12/10/2002

    With less than two days to go until the start of the summit, EU member countries remain divided over how much money to offer the newcomers. The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, has backed the candidates' demands, urging member states not to hold back the financial support originally set aside for enlargement. However Denmark, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, insists there is no more money available, and some countries, such as Germany, say the offer is too high already. Meanwhile Denmark has warned Poland it risks being left out of the EU altogether if it persists in trying to get a better deal on farm subsidies.
    Author: Rob Cameron

  • Al Qaeda reportedly planning strikes in Prague
    12/08/2002

    The international terrorist network Al Qaeda is reportedly planning strikes against Israeli targets in Prague. The Reuters news agency and Israeli daily newspaper Jediot Achronot reported that Israeli and Western intelligence services had information about planned attacks on Israeli tourists in the Czech capital. The reports appeared just a week after two attacks on Israeli tourists in Mombasa, Kenya. The Czech interior ministry said no special security measures have been adopted on top those implemented after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
    Author: Vladimír Tax

  • Government to discuss new national security strategy
    12/08/2002

    The government is to discuss an updated national security and defence strategy at its session on Monday. The current defence and security strategy was adopted two years ago. However, since then, the country's security has improved due to its integration into Western political and defence structures, but at the same time it has to react to the changing situation especially as regards the growing threat of international terrorism. The new strategy also takes into consideration the conclusions of the recent NATO summit.
    Author: Vladimír Tax

  • Doctors threaten to go on strike
    12/08/2002

    The trade unions in the health sector have threatened to go on strike to support their wage demands. Chairman of the medical trade unions, Jiri Schlanger said at the unions' congress at the weekend that they wanted wages in the health sector to grow appropriately before the country's accession to the EU. They also protest against further cuts in social spending and voiced strong dissatisfaction with wide-spread violations of the labour code in hospitals regarding working overtime.
    Author: Vladimír Tax

  • Former Justice Minister Bures to become Social Democrats' presidential candidate
    12/07/2002

    The senior partner in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party, have nominated former justice minister Jaroslav Bures as their candidate for the upcoming presidential election to replace outgoing president Vaclav Havel. Party leaders met on Saturday to choose from three candidates who emerged from an internal party referendum - Jaroslav Bures, former party chairman and prime minister Milos Zeman, and the ombudsman Otakar Motejl. Mr. Bures came second in the referendum, after Milos Zeman who later said he would run for president only if the parliament fails to elect the president and new election has to be held.

    So far, three other political parties have nominated their presidential candidates. The main opposition Civic Democrats have nominated outgoing party chairman and former premier Vaclav Klaus, the Communist Party's candidate is a former communist military prosecutor Miroslav Krizenecky, and the junior coalition Christian Democrats propose Senate chairman Petr Pithart.
    Author: Vladimír Tax

  • Visegrad Four to speak with one voice at EU summit
    12/07/2002

    EU candidate countries that are members of the so-called Visegrad Four have agreed to stand united in the final negotiations with the EU at its summit to take place next week in Copenhagen. The summit will be decisive for EU expansion and the candidates still hope to achieve more favourable conditions regarding agricultural subsidies, transitional periods, and budgetary and financial issues. Representatives of the Visegrad Group countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, met on Friday and Saturday to overcome a tension caused by the Poles last week who said they would prefer cash payments from EU budget in the first three years after entry to direct support for farming.
    Author: Vladimír Tax

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