Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 17

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
============================= EVENTS============================
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to meet on
interest rates. An announcement is expected sometime after 1100
GMT with a news conference to follow at around 1430 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - The lower house of parliament to hold an
extraordinary session (0900 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Fuksa to hold a news
conference at 1230 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
====================== TOP NEWS ================================
                                
 CLOSER TO EURO CRITERIA: The Czech Republic has moved this
year toward meeting euro entry criteria and its economy has
become more aligned with the euro zone's, a joint central bank
and government document said on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG159220] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
                                
 
                                
 FX FALLS FURTHER: Central European currencies fell on
Tuesday due to technical factors in Poland, political
uncertainty in Romania and expectations for interest rate cuts
to counter Europe's slide into recession.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG584283] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN LOWEST SINCE JANUARY: The Czech crown <EURCZK=> fell
to its lowest point since January against the euro on Tuesday,
tracking losses of its central European peers as poor economic
outlooks raise investor concerns.
                                
 Story: [ID:nWLA3661] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK SEEN CUTTING: The Czech central bank is expected to
trim interest rates by a half a percentage point as the euro
zone recession begins to weigh heavily on the country's
export-reliant growth, a Reuters poll showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLC98992] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]
                                
 
                                
 PM LOOKING TO RE-SHUFFLE: Czech Prime Minister Mirek
Topolanek said on Tuesday he would decide on an expected cabinet
reshuffle this week, a fortnight before the central European
state takes over the European Union presidency.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG617082] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.050   26.050   +0.00         +1.73
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  18.516   18.469   -0.01         -1.63
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  08,924   08,565   +4.20        -32.72
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 GOVT TO REWORK SOME DETAILS OF CSA SALE: The government
wants to re-work some of the tender details in its planned sale
next year of Czech Airlines (CSA) to give it more say in picking
the winner.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 20
                                
 
                                
 SKODA TO GO AHEAD WITH NEW MODELS: Volkswagen's <VOWG.DE>
Skoda Auto still plans to go ahead with new production of its
Yeti and Superb Combi models next year, the carmaker's chief
executive said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
 
                                
 CZECH BUDWEISER WINS RULING: Czech state brewery Budejovicky
Budvar won a ruling in the EU's Court of First Instance
cancelling objections by the Office of Harmonization for the
Internal Market (OHIM) on the Bud brand, part of a long-running
dispute with Anheuser-Busch <INTB.BR>.
                                
 
                                
 OIL IMPORTS AT RECORD: State-run distributor Mero has
imported a record of more than 8 million tonnes of oil to the
Czech Republic this year.
                                
 Pravo, page 18
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
                                
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on
                                
 [CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jason Hovet)