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The Wallachian frgál tart has been granted EU protection. The traditional pastry with fruit, poppy seed or curd cheese topping was included in the European Commission’s list of products with protected geographical indication; only tarts made in the eastern Czech region of Wallachia will be allowed to be sold under the name of valašský frgál. Over 30 Czech products have so far been granted EU protection including spa waffles and Pardubice gingerbread.

One-third of Czechs believe that joining the European Union brought more disadvantages than advantages, suggests an international opinion poll conducted by the PASOS agency. One in five Czechs hold the opposing view, the survey indicates. People in the Czech Republic have a less positive view of EU membership than those in Poland, Latvia and Bulgaria, the other states where the research was carried out. The four were among 10 countries, predominantly from the former Eastern Bloc, that joined the EU in 2004.

The Czech Republic has done better in an international comparison of attainment among school students than three years previously. In the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment, which is organised by the OECD, Czech pupils fared better in mathematics, reading and science than they did in 2009. However, the Czech Republic still only showed average results among the 65 countries surveyed. Indeed Czech 15-year-olds were only above average in scientific literacy.

The Czech Senate has rejected a recommendation from the European Commission to introduce special measures focused specifically on the Romany minority. Senators rejected the recommendation based on the fact that creating legislation based on ethnicity is discriminatory and would go against the Czech Constitution. Deputy chairman Zdeněk Škromách said on Wednesday that the commission should not issue such blanket recommendations to all the member states, and that helping socially marginalized groups is a matter for national policy, based on the specific national context.

Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok has called on European Union representatives to be more flexible in their negotiations with Ukraine, speaking in front of the Czech Senate ahead of a joint summit in Vilnius. Mr. Rusnok urged the EU to continue negotiations with Ukraine despite the fact that its parliament rejected a law that would have allowed the jailed former premier Yulia Tymoshenko from traveling to Germany for medical treatment. EU negotiators set the passage of such a law as a precondition for signing an association agreement with Ukraine. The Czech premier is planning to suggest at the summit, which begins on Thursday, that EU and Ukrainian representatives meet in Prague in the spring to renew discussions over the association agreement.

Lipno Lake in south Bohemia was awarded the title of European Destination of Excellence by the European Commission, as one of 19 sites around Europe. The award, dedicated this year to the theme of accessible tourism destinations, went to Lipno due to its complex offers for target groups with special needs, their distribution throughout the season, and the cooperation of all relevant local bodies, the head of the resort said. Four other Czech destinations entered the competition this year, including the Bohemian Switzerland and the Orlické Mountains.

The European Commission has threatened to file legal charges against the Czech Republic for refusing to disclose the reasons why the French company Areva was disqualified from the tender for the expansion of the Temelín nuclear power plant. Areva filed a complaint with the commission, which has requested relevant information from the Czech authorities. However, they have refused to release the information on the grounds that a complaint Areva filed earlier with the anti-monopoly office is still being considered. The European Commission has given the Czech Republic until the end of the month to change its approach, and said it would act by mid-December.

The Czech Republic is often criticized for failing to address the problems of its Romany minority and give the Roma equal access to education, work and housing. While the authorities frequently point out that addressing these problems is a long an uphill task, the mayor of Obrnice, a small town in north Bohemia, has just proved that it can be done. She has been awarded the Council of Europe’s DOSTA! prize for innovative work in combating anti-Romany sentiments and assisting Romany integration.

Canada will in the near future lift a visa requirement for Czechs visiting the country. The news was reported by the site Canada.com and confirmed on Thursday by the Canadian Embassy in Prague. Ottawa imposed the restriction four years ago following a spike in asylum applications from Czechs, many of whom were from the Roma minority. The Czech government had appealed to the European Union to put pressure on Canada to abolish the visa requirement.

Police found a shipment of 320 semi-automatic rifles over the weekend, for which the person transporting it had no license or transportation permit. The shipment worth a few million crowns was being transported to another European Union. Customs officers are investigating the case.