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President Miloš Zeman has signalled that he will give a speech on bureaucratic red tape in the European Union at the European Parliament in Strasbourg in a week’s time. The head of state made the remarks in a visit to the largest dairy products manufacturer in the country, Madeta. Madeta employees presented Zeman with a last example of their butter spread. The long standing description has now been banned because the spread did not meet European criteria for the fat content in the final product. Zeman added that there are many other example where European institutions intervened where they were not needed but added that the Czech Republic is likely to gain more funding from the EU than it puts in until at least 2020.

For almost half of Czechs the EU represents the freedom to travel, study, and work, the results of a new Eurobarometer poll suggest. The numbers released by the European Commission on Monday at the same time showed that Czechs were more critical of the European Union than the European average. Fifty-five percent said they considered themselves EU citizens, placing 22nd in the 28-member union. According to the poll, Czechs posted higher than the EU average when it came to trust in European institutions: 45 percent expressed trust in the European Parliament (compared to the EU average of 39) and 42 percent the European Commission (compared to the European average of 32 percent).

In its policy statement approved this week, the new centre-left government promises to bring the Czech Republic back to the EU mainstream, reaffirm its commitment to EU integration and take a more active part in shaping the EU’s future. I spoke to Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Petr Drulák about the Foreign Ministry’s priorities and began by asking him how it would go about erasing the country’s troublemaker image in the European Union.

The Czech Republic presently has the worst record in drawing of EU funds of the entire 27-member block, the Czech Minister for Regional Development Věra Jourová told journalists following Monday’s cabinet meeting. Ms. Jourová said that in the period between 2007 and 2013 the Czech Republic had placed bottom of the EU list due to a lack of know-how in securing grants and a reputation of abusing funds. Last year alone the country failed to draw the equivalent of 10 billion crowns of potentially available money, out of an overall 16 billion left untapped. The minister said that this year the Czech Republic could fail to draw as much as 24 billion crowns, with the biggest problems at the environment and education ministries.

Mr. Sobotka will also visit Brussels before the end of February. His spokesman, Martin Ayrer, said on Saturday that the prime minister’s visit to the centre of the European Union would signal a turnaround in Czech policy with regard to the idea of further European integration. No details of the visit have been released, but it is likely Mr. Sobotka will go to Brussels soon after his government seeks confidence in the Chamber of Deputies on February 18.

Adopting the euro is not among the goals of the new Czech government, Finance Minister Andrej Babiš told the lower house of Parliament on Thursday. Reacting to Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek’ remarks that the coalition government should pave the way for adopting the single European currency as soon as possible, Mr Babiš said the Czech economy was not ready for the move, suggesting the country could adopt the euro in six years’ time at the earliest.

New screening technology is enabling EU airports to roll back the tight restrictions on passengers carrying liquids, aerosols and gels in their carry-on luggage. The heightened security measures, effective as of February 1st, are in line with an EC directive. Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport has acquired 18 stationary and two mobile scanners for gels and liquids worth ten million crowns. A spokesman for the airport said the new checks have not led to significant delays or caused any problems.

Czech EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fulle says the EU has not closed its doors to Ukraine but the country’s drawn out crisis must be resolved ahead of an association agreement with the EU. In an interview for Czech Radio Mr. Fulle said that if the EU wanted Ukraine’s transformation then it should offer Kiev an association agreement and eventually EU membership since enlargement was the strongest transformation tool available. He said however that further steps in this direction were not possible until Ukraine found a lasting and democratic solution to the present crisis.

President Zeman called on party leaders of the incoming government to make the passing of a new civil service law its highest priority. The proposed new law was already approved at first reading in the lower house of parliament, a step which the head of state demanded for ANO leader Andrej Babis to become minister of finance. Zeman stressed that the Czech Republic is the last EU country to implement rules guaranteeing an independent and professional civil service. He said such a law was the only way to protect citizens against those who sought to traffic state power.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is to pay a three day state visit to the Czech Republic at the invitation of Czech President Milos Zeman. President Sargsyan is due to arrive in Prague on Wednesday for a series of talks with top officials and will attend a state dinner held at Prague Castle in his honour on Thursday night. The two heads of state are expected to discuss bilateral ties and investment and trade opportunities. The Armenian president last visited the Czech capital in 2009 when the Czech capital hosted an EU summit focusing on the Eastern partnership project.