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The Czech and Danish prime ministers have said that if Turkey fulfils EU criteria it should be admitted to the European Union. During talks in Prague on Friday, the visiting Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he expected the December EU summit would give the start of accession talks with Turkey the green light. However the start of accession talks does not automatically imply admission at the end of the road, the Danish Prime Minister said, noting that Turkey would be under close scrutiny in meeting EU norms.

The Czech and Danish prime ministers have said that if Turkey fulfils EU criteria it should be admitted to the European Union. During talks in Prague on Friday, the visiting Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he expected the December EU summit would give the start of accession talks with Turkey the green light. However the start of accession talks does not automatically imply admission at the end of the road, the Danish Prime Minister said, noting that Turkey would be under close scrutiny in meeting EU norms.

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about a demographic "time bomb" ticking in Europe, the need to reform pension and welfare systems and revamp as part of building a more competitive European Union. Leading Czech and British economists met at Prague Castle last week for another in a series of conferences about the future of Europe. The focus this time around was on the Lisbon agenda, aimed at making the now 25-member strong European Union an unrivalled knowledge-based economic powerhouse, by 2010.

The European Commission has said none of the ten newcomer states are ready to join the single currency and pressed for continued efforts. European Union financial chiefs concluded at their meeting on Wednesday that none of the countries vying to join the now 12 nation Euro zone fulfilled the five tests for Euro membership. They noted individual progress on some targets. The Czech Republic meets the criteria for inflation but falls short of the requirement of keeping its public deficit below 3.0 percent of GDP. The Commission has declined to forecast how soon the newcomers could swap their currencies for the Euro.

What is the difference between lobbying in the Czech Republic and abroad? Martin Duda is the deputy director at Czech Business Representation, which represents several Czech business associations at EU bodies in Brussels. The lobbyist who has worked in the Czech Republic and abroad explained why lobbyists in the capital of the European Union have a much better reputation than those in Prague.

Leading British and Czech economists met at Prague Castle last week for another in a series of conferences about the future of Europe - what it has to offer the world, how it is affected by migration and the impact of European integration, among other things. Last week's conference was called Can Europe sharpen its blunt competitive edge and it presented another platform to the much debated Lisbon agenda aimed at raising the EU's competitiveness by 2010. Keith Didcock, deputy director of the Foreign Policy Centre in London tells Daniela Lazarova

The former Czech prime minister Milos Zeman has a new brand of beer named after him. The best Czech chefs are off to Erfurt with a pastry masterpiece: Dali's famous clock in dark and white chocolate. And, the family from next door: there's a very good reason why you should ask them to lunch. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

People representing various Czech non-profit organisations gathered in the Valdstejn Palace in Prague at the end of last week to discuss a document that has been causing a stir throughout Europe in recent months - the draft European Constitution. They were interested in the document's relevance to the non-profit sector and the development of a civil society.

Karlovy Vary - the biggest and most elegant Czech spa town - is hosting an annual balneology fair this week. For the uninitiated, that means a fair looking at issues connected with spas. Going for spa cure is something deeply rooted in Central European culture. This year the event includes a conference about the economic aspects of balneology. Spa doctors and managers are discussing conditions in the business in the Czech Republic following the enlargement of the European Union.

During his first official visit to the European Union institutions and NATO headquarters in Brussels, the Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross on Tuesday backed Turkey's EU membership bid, pledged to boost the Czech Republic's defense budget to honor its NATO commitments, and rejected calls for EU-wide tax harmonization. Analysts say the former Czech interior minister, whose critics at home often portray him as weak on foreign policy, avoided speaking to controversial issues but nonetheless made a strong impression.