Competitiveness of Czech milk sector on the EU market

After two years of enlarged Single Market performance we can trace and evaluate the main trends in European trade development. The contribution is focused on production and realization of Czech milk and milk products after the EU enlargement and should answer the question if the Czech milk sector found the way for continual functioning in the frame of the EU trade zone and the EU single market organisation and which are its´ chances in the near future.milk, competitiveness, EU market, International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

Analogous Products and Food Quality Products: Two Poles of the Competition

The globalisation of processing industry and the consolidation of the international retail trade, together with the increase of imports after the EU access, supported the competition hot up and saturation of domestic food market. Both food processors and food retailers are exposed to increasing competition. In order to maintenance on the market they are increasingly pressed to minimize their costs and/or to accomplish higher prices for products with competitive advantage. Besides of that all participants of the agri-food chain are pressed to intensify marketing support of their goods. Aiming to reduce the costs, some of processors choose the way by the substitution of part of the input material by another, cheaper one. On the other hand, the offer of foods with specific quality attributes such as organic foods, regional marks, specialities or other quality food products is a way, how to surpass the sharp competition. On the background of the retail network development, of shopping behaviour and of development of competition, this study recapitulates main marketing trends on the food market in the Czech Republic, the reasons of these trends and their impacts. In the study a space for food quality products on the Czech market is being searched in the competition with products of lower price categories.competition, marketing, quality, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing,

The technical efficiency of Public Libraries in the Czech Republic

The purpose of this article is to define and evaluate the development of the aggregated technical efficiency of public libraries in the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2014. To simulate technical efficiency, the Data Envelopment Analysis Model (The BCC model) was chosen. To evaluate the production units (the unit of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2014 and its production is given by the sum of real homogenous units, i.e. the public libraries operating in a given area and in a given time), two input variables (the recalculated number of employees and the library collection) and two output variables (the number of registered readers and the number of loans) were analysed. Two basic models were simulated – the M1 model oriented to inputs and the M2 model oriented to outputs. Correlation between the input and output variables was researched using Pearson’s coefficient. Within the range of the M1 and M2 basic models, partial models were simulated. All of the basic and partial models identically showed eight efficient periods of public libraries in the Czech Republic (1995, 1997, 1999–2000, 2002–2005). Public libraries were, according to the chosen variables, inefficient in the remaining 16 observed years

Estimation of the competitive conditions in the Czech banking sector

The paper uses New Empirical Industrial Organization approach, especially Panzar Rosse model to estimates the level of competition of the banking industry in the Czech Republic during the period 2001–2009. We apply Panzar-Rosse model to estimate H statistic for a panel of 15 banks, which represent almost 90 % of the market. This paper also measures and compares the degree of banking competition in two sub-periods, 2001–2005 and 2005–2009, in order to investigate development of the competitive structure of the Czech banking industry. We found that the market was in equilibrium during most of the estimation period, which is a necessary condition for sound evaluation of the competition level. While the market can be described as perfectly competitive in 2001–2005, the intensity of competition decreased after joining the EU in 2004 and the market can be characterized as one of monopolistic competition in 2005–2009. The monopolistic competition in the Czech banking market was also revealed if the full sample 2001–2009 is considered.Panzar-Rosse model; competition; banking sector; Czech Republic

Role of small and medium-sized enterprises in economies of Poland and Slovakia - comparative analysis

The SME sector is one of the factors that contribute to economic growth in every country on the national and regional level, and it holds true to Poland and Slovakia. Although this sector grew most rapidly during the beginning transition period, it still retains its significant role in the economic growth in both countries - Poland and Slovakia. The aim of paper is to present the role and importance of small and medium-sized enterprises in two selected countries, that is Poland and Slovakia. The main focus of the article is to put on the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in Polish and Slovak economies. The authors use and examine available statistical data concerning SMEs in Poland and Slovakia. The aim of the paper is to investigate the impact of small and medium-sized enterprises on the Polish and Slovak economies. The paper analyses the state of the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises in both countries, seeking to understand the causes of its relative strength and weakness. In particular, the authors examine the question of whether the development of SMEs along the current lines would positively contribution to the sustainable development of the Polish and Slovak economies.entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Slovakia, Poland

The efficiency and public transport accessibility of indirect state administration in the Czech Republic

This paper examines the efficiency and public transport accessibility of indirect (devolved) state administration performed by municipalities with extended powers (hereinafter MEPs) in the Czech Republic. Our aim is to evaluate the efficiency of the revenues made by municipalities with extended powers, through performing powers delegated to them by the state administration, and those municipalities' public transport accessibility as of 31 December, 2014. The rate of efficiency is tested on an output-oriented Free Disposable Hull model. One input variable is selected - the operating expenses of the municipal offices recalculated per inhabitant of the municipality's administrative district - and two output variables are selected: contribution to the performance of state administration, recalculated per inhabitant of the municipality's administrative district, and revenues from administrative fees per inhabitant of the municipality's administrative district. The municipality's offices' transport accessibility is evaluated via network analysis using ArcGIS software. The article investigates the hypothesis that public administration deconcentration practices logically result in higher security costs and therefore inefficiency. The results reveal that only 66 of the country's 205 MEPs are efficient and that operating expenses and state contributions for the performance of state administrative tasks play a significant role in these results. Efficiency is less significantly influenced by administrative fee revenues. Public transport accessibility is analyzed for two time intervals - 6: 00 to 8: 00 am and 1: 00 to 2: 00 pm - on Tuesdays. The degree of accessibility is defined using a six-point scale of accessibility. The results show that the best accessibility is in the morning hours, when the offices are accessible for 68.8% of the population aged 15+ in the Czech Republic; the worst accessibility is in the afternoon hours when only 2% of the population aged 15+ can access the offices.Web of Science16215613