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The majority of Czech members of the European Parliament voted in favour of the European Union opening accession talks with Turkey on Wednesday. But 'no' votes were cast on Wednesday by five of the 24 Czech MEPs, among them Vladimir Zelezny, whose Eurosceptic group came out strongly against Turkey joining, and called for referendums on the issue in all EU states. EU leaders are expected to give the green light to accession negotiations with Turkey later this week.

The European Commission is investigating whether a Czech steelmaker received financial support from the Czech state in contravention of European Union regulations. If the Commission finds that the rules have been broken Trinecke zelezarny may be ordered to return the money.

In the Czech Republic's evaluation of the EU's Lisbon Strategy, Czechs urge the European Union to do more to boost its economical development. The Lisbon Strategy was adopted by the European Council in March 2000. It is a ten-year plan to turn the European Union into the world's most dynamic and competitive economy. In the Czech Republic's evaluation, which was approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, economists warn of too much concentration on social and environmental renewal and too little focus on EU budget priorities and various outstanding economic barriers.

The Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross has met the Czech Republic's EU Commissioner, Vladimir Spidla in Prague to discuss above all the European social policy and the Lisbon Strategy - the European Union's action and development plan. Mr Spidla, who was Mr Gross's predecessor in the post of prime minister and head of the ruling Social Democratic Party, refused to comment whether the current situation in the party, which is losing public support, was also discussed.

The Civic Democratic Party, which is slated to win the next general elections, has made it clear that it would fight the European Constitution. Addressing the conference the party's deputy chairman Petr Necas voiced radical opposition to the EU Constitution and said the party should explain its drawbacks to the public and recommend that people do not vote for it in a national referendum. The party's shadow foreign minister Jan Zahradil, said that the Civic Democrats did not want a federation of European states but a flexible structure in which countries could integrate according to their needs.

The Prime Minister, Stanislav Gross, has responded to criticism of the EU Constitution by President Vaclav Klaus, who said he was against it 100 percent at the weekend. On Monday, after meeting with the prime minister of Luxembourg, Mr Gross said he believed the constitution would help strengthen the Czech Republic's place within the union, allowing a proper forum for Czech opinion, while a failure to ratify the document would see the Czech Republic pushed to "the outskirts". Mr Gross made clear that despite the president's strong view on the subject, in his view ratification of the EU Constitution was "a step in the right direction".

Defence Minister Karel Kunhl has revealed that the Czech Republic will provide at least 350 troops for new EU rapid-response forces by 2007. Along with neighbouring Germany and Austria, the Czechs will form one of 13 rapid-response units, capable of acting in trouble zones anywhere in the world over the course of 15 days. The defence minister pointed out that by 2007 the Czech military will have completed necessary reforms making it capable of providing troops for such operations. Czechs serving in the EU rapid-response force will include classic infantry along with anti-chemical troops and health specialists.

The agriculture chapter was the most complicated part of the negotiations before the accession of the Czech Republic into the EU in May this year. The most criticism came down on Czech veterinary controls and the fragmentary legislation governing them. For their part farmers feared new competition, lower sales figures and even bankruptcy. Now, nearly 7 months down the line, farmers are in a position to compare the situation with what went before and evaluate how useful and fair the EU has been to the Czech farming sector.

It has been six months since the Czech Republic and nine other states, most of them in Central and Eastern Europe, entered the European Union. But have these new bonds brought the countries of Central Europe closer together? At the end of last week Prague hosted a conference "Without Borders" to look at how partnership is working and could be improved between the countries of the region. Maida Agovic has this report.

Almost exactly six months ago, the Czech Republic and seven other former Communist countries joined the European Union. With Romania and Bulgaria also knocking on the doors of the EU, further east electoral controversies have emerged in Belarus and Ukraine. As the Czech Republic and other countries go west, many say a gap has emerged between former eastern bloc allies and the EU, and some are asking how the gap can be bridged.