News

Addressing a UN conference on climate change in New York President Klaus questioned the need for immediate action on global warming. He said that the degree of global warming over the past years, decades and centuries was negligible in the historical perspective and argued that it was not even proven that human activity had caused it. He argued that the international community was under the sway of ambitious environmentalists who promoted their "highly speculative hypothesis" to justify curtailing personal freedom and economic growth but who in actual fact had very little proof to support their claims. The president's words have evoked concern back in Prague where politicians fear that Mr. Klaus' singular opinions on climate change might harm the Czech Republic's chances of gaining a seat on the UN Security Council. The environment minister, Martin Bursik, stressed that the Czech president was not speaking on behalf of the Czech government and environment groups have described Mr. Klaus' views as totally misguided.

The European Union's newest members risk losing some of the funds reserved for them in the bloc's joint budget because they are failing to use it quickly enough, the European Commission said Monday. The 10 countries which joined the bloc in May 2004, the Czech Republic included, have only used up 57 percent of the money that was reserved for their regional development projects. However, under existing rules they have only two years to use the money, meaning that funds budgeted in 2005 have to be used by the end of 2007. The EC has urged these countries to improve their administrative management so that they can make use of the EU funds available to them before they expire.

Old age pensions in the Czech Republic will increase by 346 crowns monthly on average as of next year, Labour and Social Affairs Minister Petr Necas told journalists after a cabinet meeting on Monday. The minister said that the living standard of pensioners would not drop despite the fiscal reform package approved by the government. He said increased expenditures would be further compensated in 2009 if necessary. Opposition parties on the other hand argue that the increase in pensions is woefully inadequate to counter the expected price hikes resulting from higher VAT tax on food, medicines and transport.

The Czech government on Monday said it had sent more than 420 tonnes of wheat seed to Moldova to counter the "catastrophic effects of a local drought." The government of the former Soviet republic, one of the poorest countries in Europe, appealed for international help after drought hit its first harvest this year. The Czech government has requested that the seed be divided between the worst struck areas.