Consultancy and Research
The Ministry of Agriculture manages R&D; for the entire agricultural sector, and invests significant funding into its support and development. Thanks to this funding, the results produced by some Czech research teams rank them among the best in their field both in Europe and worldwide.
SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
The Ministry of Agriculture conceptually and methodologically manages departmental organisations engaged in research. It is responsible for the implementation of the National Research Policy and the National Innovation Strategy at the Ministry, prepares a Concept for Research and Development within the Ministry's field of competence and ensures that it is implemented, and draws up a list of priorities for national and international programmes dealing with the issues of agricultural research, development and innovation. The Ministry also coordinates collaboration in the area of ministerial R&D&I within the Czech Republic, and the involvement of the ministerial scientific research teams in European research projects.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
The Ministry organises departmental training courses, stages educational and awareness programmes for the farming community, and provides professional education for public administration staff, particularly in the areas of the law and EU legislation. The Ministry is responsible for the implementation of the Lifelong Learning Strategy, and also participates in the creation of the National Occupation System and the National Qualifications Framework in the context of agriculture, the food industry, forestry and the water sector. It also grants authorisation to educational institutions, is involved in ongoing professional education for teachers, and takes part in a number of other activities, for example in the field of environmental education.
ADVISORY SERVICES
The Ministry's advisory services and information system are very important instruments of its agricultural policy. A properly functioning advisory system is vital in order to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of Czech agriculture in a market economy.
The Ministry's advisory system has been set up on the basis of the requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy set out in applicable Czech and EU legislation. Its advisory services take a variety of forms: general information, specialised professional consultancy, both individual field information and collated information provided via a set of interconnected websites. It is supported by both national and EU funding.