Related articles

Coming up in this week's business news, Czechs help block an EU proposal to raise tax on beer, Budvar wins a trademark battle in Portugal, Delvita supermarkets announce they're shutting up shop, the Czech crown sets a new record against the euro, minority shareholders call for halt in Unipetrol privatisation, Czech perceptions of corruption decline and the World Bank says setting up a Czech company takes 24 days - over a week longer than the OECD average.

Zdenek Hruby, chairman of the supervisory board of the power utility CEZ, has been appointed to the post of government secretary for the country's EU presidency in 2009. Mr. Hruby has considerable experience in managing international projects. He was chief coordinator of the IMF and World Bank meeting in Prague in the year 2000 and national coordinator of EU funds. The Czech Republic should hold the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2009.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus has said he is not opposed to Turkey's entry into the EU if the country can meet the required criteria. Speaking on a working visit to Denmark, Mr. Klaus said that he would rather see the EU enlarged than more closely integrated. The president did not wish to comment on the US election results, merely saying that he did not expect any significant changes in bilateral ties. On Thursday the Czech president had lunch with the Queen of Denmark, Margarethe II and met with some of the country's top officials.

With an annual consumption of 156 liters per head Czechs are the world's biggest beer consumers. Now - a proposed increase in minimum alcohol excise duties in the EU states is threatening to send up the price of the Czech national beverage. On Tuesday the Czech Republic and three other EU members - Germany, Lithuania and Latvia - blocked the proposal. But the fight over the price of beer is not over. The excise duty price hike will be back on the EU's agenda at the end of November.

Up to a third of the Czech Republic's butchers could go out of business, the head of the Czech meat processors union, Jaromir Klouda, said in an interview for Lidove noviny. Czech butchers have until the end of 2009 to meet European Union standards for preparing meat. Mr Klouda said for small butchers adapting their workplaces it would involve difficult building work and could be prohibitively expensive.

The rate of corruption in the Czech Republic has declined but the country still ranks among the worst in the EU. This, according to a new Transparency International report that evaluated how the situation has changed in 163 countries in the last year. The Czech Republic figures among more than ten countries where the corruption index has improved the most. In 2005, the Czech Republic ended 47th, with 4.3 points on a ten-point scale, where 10 is the best showing, along with Namibia, Slovakia and Greece. In this year's report it finished 46th with 4.8 points, along with Kuwait and Lithuania.

Czechs are one of the most optimistic nations when asked about employment opportunities, a European public opinion poll suggests. Results of a new Eurobarometer survey indicate that 56 percent of Czechs believe they will be employed in two years' time. In the 25 EU member states, the Czech Republic ranked 8th when it came to optimism. Citizens of neighbouring Slovakia and Poland on the other hand appear to be much more pessimistic; a mere 29 percent of each population think they will hold a full-time job in 2008.

The government has selected Zdenek Hruby, currently head of the CEZ energy utility's supervisory board, as the man who should prepare the Czech Republic for its EU presidency in 2009. Foreign Minister Aleaxander Vondra introduced Mr. Hruby to the lower house's Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday. Lubomir Zaoralek, lower house deputy chairman, said the Social Democrats would not challenge the appointment. The Czech Republic is to preside over the EU in the first half of 2009.

Over 34,000 people have died on Czech roads since 1980. Despite numerous transport ministry and traffic police projects, the number of deaths and injuries is still over a thousand a year. But a points system that was introduced in July appears to be making a difference. A new report issued by the European Commission says that the number of deaths on Czech roads has decreased by a quarter in the last year. Dita Asiedu reports:

Great Britain recently made the headlines when it announced that it will not extend its open door policy to workers from Romania and Bulgaria, when the two countries join the European Union in slightly under two months' time. Other states, such as Poland and Finland, will open their labour markets. Now the latter camp has been joined by the Czech Republic. But the labour minister says restrictions could be introduced later, if need be.