Press Releases

5. 3. 200811:19

March 5, 2008: Czech Government meeting - results

On 5 March 2008, the Government of the Czech Republic discussed a number of draft acts. The Government of the Czech Republic acknowledged the Report Assessing Potential Health Risks Caused by the Electromagnetic Radiation Emitted by the EBR Radio Locator (European Based Radar) in the event this facility is built in the Brdy Military Area at spot height 718 near the municipality of Míšov.

In connection with negotiations on the installation of an American radar in the Brdy Military Area, the Government of the Czech Republic has charged the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense with completing an assessment of the potential risks of the operation of the EBR (European Based Radar) for the health of inhabitants in the vicinity of the facility. The reason for this resolution was published reports that electromagnetic radiation produced by the radar is liable to cause damage to the health of people living in the vicinity. The Government of the Czech Republic has acknowledged the following: If the radio locator currently located on the Kwajalein Island in the Pacific Ocean is installed with the same technical parameters at spot height 718 in the Brdy Military Area in the Czech Republic, people inhabiting the vicinity will not be exposed to radiation exceeding the allowable limit for population. Radiation to which persons at the ground level will be exposed in areas outside the (inadmissible) area in the immediate vicinity of the antenna will be many orders lower than the highest allowable value of the radiation flux density to which population may be permanently exposed.

The Government has acknowledged information provided by Minister Vlasta Parkanová on the progress of the underway project Rearmament of the Army of the Czech Republic with Armored Personal Carriers. The submitted material contained information on the early development and the current status of the project and a proposal for a further course of action. Under the document, the Government has acknowledged the possibility to continue negotiations between the Ministry of Defense and the contractor. It is expected that 107 vehicles in six modifications will be supplied.

Further, the Government of the Czech Republic has approved a draft act submitted by the Ministry of Finance on the government bond program for the payment of the principal of government bonds purchased on the market in 2008. The purpose of the law is to obtain an approval for the payment for purchased bonds from the proceeds of new issues of government bonds on the capital and money markets. Approving the law will not result in any increase in the state debt because the obligation in the form of issued government bonds already exists. The measure will only result in the replacement of formerly issued government bonds with new ones. The law will have no impact on the state budget, and there will be no other economic and financial effects.

The Government has also approved a draft government resolution amending the government resolution laying down the conditions for disbursing subsidies in connection with any premature termination of the conduct of agricultural business by agricultural entrepreneurs. The draft document introduces gradated reduction of disbursed subsidies in cases where a beneficiary fails to comply with obligations (depending on the extent of the failure to comply such obligations) and the disagreement of the reduction of disbursed subsidies under the said measure vis-à-vis the Horizontal Rural Development Plan of the Czech Republic for 2004-2006 and the measure Premature Termination of Agricultural Activity under the Rural Development plan of the Czech Republic for 2007-2013. At present, the disbursal of the entire subsidy to a beneficiary is stopped if the beneficiary fails to comply with the obligations, which is an inadequate penalty.

In addition, the Government of the Czech Republic approved today a proposal for the use of the classified part of the EU Extranet CR system for the internal distribution of classified documents of the Council of the European Union. The purpose of this proposal is to create and put into operation a system for electronic communication and sorting and processing data, which will allow transmitting classified information of national provenience and from EU bodies and institutions. The cost of making the system operational will be paid using the reserve fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Data processing is a key area in view of the upcoming presidency of the Czech Republic in the Council of the European Union.

Press Department of the Government of the Czech Republic