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EP complicates agreement on Czech pig farm in Lety-governor

22 October 2012
2 minute read

South Bohemian regional governor Jan Zahradnik believes that the European Parliament has made the achievement of an agreement on the solution to the long-lasting problem of a pig farm in Lety more difficult, Zahradnik’s spokeswoman Maria Ptackova told CTK today.

At the end of January the European Parliament criticised the Czech Republic over the pig farm, standing on the site of a former wartime internment camp for Romanies (more here…).

In a resolution on Romany policy the EP called on the European Commission and other authorities to do their best to have the pig farm removed and a dignified monument to the Romany victims erected.

Previously, the south Bohemian authorities agreed with local Romanies that a monument would be erected outside the pig farm. However, the Committee for Compensation of the Romany Holocaust Victims (VPORH) insists on the removal of the farm.

The removal of the farm would mean for the region a loss of jobs and would also bring losses to local farmers, Ptackova quoted Zahradnik as saying.

"I am afraid that the EP resolution is contra-productive since in a way it torpedoes the path towards an agreement on this long-lasting problem," Zahradnik said.

Last week, Zahradnik told CTK that there was no point in insisting on the removal of the pig farm. He said that the regional authorities wanted to build a monument for 50 million crowns elsewhere and that representatives of the government, the AGPI company that owns the farm and south Bohemian Romanies had agreed with it.

Zahradnik today rejected VPORH chairman Cenek Ruzicka’s statement that there is no political will in the Czech Republic to resolve the problem of Lety (more here…).

"However, remembering of the responsibility of the development of the region he should bear in mind the consequences of the liquidation of the pig farm for the region, including the loss of jobs and the liquidation of companies processing wheat produced by local farmers. The company has been in the state of uncertainty for a long time that undermines its business plans," Zahradnik said.

According to historic sources, a total of 1,308 people were interned in the Lety camp during World War Two, 327 of whom died there and more than 500 were transported to the Oswiecim (Auschwitz) extermination camp.

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