Speech of the Prime Minister of the CR, Mirek Topolánek on the occasion of winner ceremony of the competition "Farm of the Year" on December 1st 2006

Equal conditions for agriculture

Dear ladies, dear gentlemen,

In fact, I need not speak much. You know well my opinions. But the situation has changed after all. I am not in the opposition any longer and you are likely to look to me more, than just promises. In spite of the fact that the government has not had much time and peace for work, I am ready to be accountable to you.

You know that my policy – not only in the sphere of agriculture – has always been characterized by equal attitude. I promote equal attitude to farmers of old and new countries of the European Union. I am against discrimination of farmers in favour of agricultural cooperatives. I stand up for equal condition of town and country.

Equal conditions in the EU

In spite of the fact that my government jumped on the bandwagon, which was going in wrong direction, we have been doing our best to prepare equal conditions for everybody. For example, to ensure maximal supply of agricultural subsidies, despite their not very fair distribution. We have also succeeded in quick distribution of subsidies this time. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture managed to quickly simplify conditions for using money from the EU.

Unfortunately, we could not stop the ignominious horse trade with sugar limits. In this case Czech farmers were adversely affected because of two reasons. First, because of insensitive attitude of the EU that had ordered sugar production decrease regardless profitability in the individual countries. Second, because of actions of the previous government; those were absolutely beyond all understanding. The previous government, hand in hand with the Agrarian Chamber, allocated quotas not to farmers, but to sugar refineries, which are parts of supranational chains. Therefore, instead of quotas rest at home, at Czech producers of sugar beet, they will be transferred to France and Germany. Local sugar refineries will be closed down, people will be out of work, and farmers will not be able to sell their sugar. It is inconsistent with economic logics of the matter, because purchase of sugar beet and sugar production are cheaper in our country in comparison with western countries.

I remind you that socialists and members of Agrarian Chamber declared that sugar quotas would protect sugar beet producers against competition. Here we can see results. What will be further skeletons in the cupboard?

We try to prevent skeletons to enter our cupboard. Therefore, the Minister of Agriculture has started to secure support for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU, which will be the main topic of the Czech presidency in 2009. It is the policy of hard discrimination of new countries, in fact. It is an expensive policy. It is ineffective policy, which requires to be changed.

Equal conditions for large and small enterprises

Termination of discrimination of private farmers by my government is reflected best by the fact that the chairman of the Agrarian Chamber, Veleba, slanders me everywhere. You who took part in our common negotiations, can prove that he cannot complaint about unequal treatment. He was just used to different treatment. But I am not going to prefer the large ones at the expense of the small ones. Especially when there is a suspicion of corruption, as it was for example in case of the effort of the previous government to grant licences for subsidized production of bio-fuels. We have introduced obligatory adding of bio-fuels into oil instead, without any subsidies.

Mr. Veleba is mistaken – or he confuses you – when he claims that the government decree will damage interests of farmers. On the contrary, it is a similar matter as in case of sugar. If we had accepted the system, the Agrarian Chamber promoted and which resulted in the corruption scandal, go-getting business groups would have gain multibillion business and then they would have dictated prices of producers. Our solution will ensure that you will have profit, because fuel producers will be obliged to purchase biomass for market price. And the increased demand, which will be a result of the government decree, will logically increase its price.

We use the principle of equality also in case of Setuza. It is not true again that the execution endangers interests of farmers. It will not endanger interests of the private ones, definitely. Execution was the last way how to restore order in Setuza. Without order it is not possible to make good and fair business.

The Minister of Agriculture Vicenová is also the first head of the ministry who purposefully tries to involve in the decision-making process as large part of the public as possible. I can mention participation of regional commissioners in decision-making bodies of Povodí (River Basin Administration) and Lesy České republiky (Forest of the CR Administration), or a dialogue with non-governmental agricultural organizations.

Equal conditions of town and country

And now I am coming to the issue of establishing equal conditions for town and country. I admit that this task is a task rather for the future. It was not be possible, within those two months, to show more than good will. Because equal conditions mean above all equal access to finances. To achieve this, it is necessary to change budgetary rules first. You know that we were unsuccessfully trying, against a will of the left-wing block, to keep more money in regions. We will submit this law again. Also better usage of money from European funds, which are primarily earmarked for levelling of standard of living, will help the country development.

Also the successful diplomatic activities of Minister Vicenová will contribute to the prestige of Czech farmers. She has managed within short time to negotiate two-day visit of Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel.

I know that my speech was less rousing less persuasive this time, in comparison with speeches you are used to. I wanted to present fairly results of our work, as I need not to agitate here. I know that there is a lot of work to do. I am not going to bother you by specification of further measures, wait for the government decree.

Owing to the fact that my first government terminates its activities, it would be good to take stock of it. You are lucky that the government exists so shortly, after all. Otherwise, I would bother you for hours by Castro-like speech specifying all the government's successes. Now, time will rest for further speakers.

Thank you for your attention.