According to the HN newspaper, a privatization purchase-contract proposal includes a clause that the successful strategic investor in CEZ will have to offer a buy-out to municipalities holding shares in regional distribution companies privatized together with CEZ (the selling price should be the same as for the privatized stake). While this would be positive for the municipalities, other minority shareholders, including those of CEZ, would perceive this negatively. Reportedly, the proposed contract also sets minimum required output levels from coal and nuclear power plants till 2012. Negative.
After meeting with the Austrian foreign minister, Benita Ferrer-Waldner, the Czech senate chairman, Petr Pithart, said that if Austria gets sufficient safety guarantees related to the Temelin nuclear power plant, it would not block the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU (Czech Press Agency). Although these and similar statements are rather vague, they suggest that Austria could be easing its position toward Temelin. Positive, stock unlikely to react though.
(Jiri Soustruznik)