News of Radio Prague

Telicka: CR will fight against competitors when attracting investment from EU

The Czech Republic intends to fight hard against its competition from other candidate countries for EU membership when attracting important investment from EU states is concerned. This, according to the Czech Republic's chief negotiator with the EU, Pavel Telicka. Speaking at a conference on the single European market on Monday, Mr Telicka claimed that the investment incentives granted by the candidate countries did not comply with EU norms. The only exception, he said, was the Czech Republic, adding that it met all EU requirements.

Czech Roma want Council on Roma Affairs dissolved

Representatives of the Czech Roma community are calling for the government's Council on Roma Affairs to be dissolved. According to the Chairman of the Roma Civic Initiative, Stefan Licartovsky, most Roma oppose the current system under which the council's members are chosen. He explained that although Roma organisations had chosen their council representatives, other, much younger candidates were appointed council members. Mr Licartovsky claimed that these members failed to promote the needs and represent the majority of the Roma community.

Temelin to be put back in operation this week

The controversial Temelin nuclear power plant in South Bohemia, is expected to be put back in operation in the course of this week. The plant was shut down last Thursday due to a technical fault in the non-nuclear area of the circulation system. Despite the fact that this latest fault has been the most serious in the plant's history, Vaclav Brom of Temelin's press department said on Monday that all repairs shall be completed this week to allow for testing to continue at an output of one hundred percent.

Klaus to visit Vienna

The Speaker of the Lower House and main opposition leader Vaclav Klaus is expected to visit Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday. Mr Klaus is scheduled to meet Austrian President Thomas Klestil and Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel to discuss Czech-Austrian relations, especially issues that have recently caused friction between the two countries. The main topics of discussion are therefore to be the Temelin nuclear power plant and the Benes Decrees under which some two and a half million ethnic Germans were expelled from Czechoslovakia between 1945 and 1948.

CSSD MP wants antifascist Benes Decree victims to be compensated

And staying with the Benes Decrees. The Social Democrat MP, Zdenek Kudelka, told journalists on Monday that the Czech Republic ought to compensate those ethnic Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia under the Benes Decrees who did not support fascism. Mr Kudelka added that they should also have the right to gain back their property and documents that were seized by the post-war Czechoslovak state.

Weather

And finally a quick look at the weather forecast. Monday night is expected to have overcast skies throughout the country with occasional rain and early morning fog. Night-time temperatures shall range between 3 and 7 degrees Celsius. Temperatures on Tuesday shall range between 12 and 8 degrees Celsius with occasional rain or drizzle continuing throughout the day.