The Prague Stock Exchange (BCPP) has established a loosely regulated market for small caps, called START, which aims to attract small- and medium-sized companies with lower reporting and listing requirements than needed for companies trading on the main PX Index.

A long-running legal battle between Czech ministries and the European Commission over high agricultural goods surpluses run up by the country before joining the EU has resulted in a court victory for Prague. The Czech Republic can now seek the return of the €12.287 billion fine which has  already been paid.

Czech fund Penta Investments has offered to buy 40% of Polish retailer Empik Media & Fashion (EM&F) for 410 million zlotys as part of a deal with the retailer’s man shareholder, Eastbridge, to jointly manage the group, with the intention to delist the company from the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

The Finance Ministry announced Tuesday that last year its Financial Analysis Unit (FAÚ) blocked Kč 808 million of “laundered” money, i.e. funds suspected of being diverted to avoid taxation and illegally-gained funds. Over the year FAÚ received 1,970 reports of suspicious transfers of money, 83 more than in the previous year.