Th e paper analyzes the development of the value, commodity and territorial structure and competitiveness of agricultural trade of the countries of the Visegrad Group in [1993][1994][1995][1996][1997][1998][1999][2000][2001][2002][2003][2004][2005][2006][2007][2008]. Over the years, there has been a sharp increase not only to the volume, but also to the value of the traded agricultural products. Th e territorial structure of both exports and imports has narrowed to a decisive extent, primarily to the trade with the countries of the EU27. Th e commodity structure of agricultural trade has adapted very strongly both to the world and especially to the European market and it has furthermore reacted to the changes in the structure of the individual national markets. In the course of the years, the commodity structure has profi led so that there has been a limitation of aggregation with a strong comparative advantage on the market of the EU countries in relation to the aggregations that did not held this advantage. Th e analysis that has been performed indicates that the process of the accession to the EU has been refl ected positively in the results of agricultural trade especially in the case of Poland. In the case of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the entry into the EU likewise has not led to a worsening of the results in the area of agricultural trade. Only in the case of Hungary, one does fi nd serious structural problems after the entry into the EU in the case of agricultural trade. It can be assumed that these problems can be attributed for the most part to the Hungary's current economic problems.

Abstract:The dynamics and forming of European agriculture are determined by many considerably heterogenous and complicated processes and trends which influence mutually and moreover they work in a different way in developed and developing countries. An attention will be paid to basic global trends, the role of the common Agricultural Policy, the influence of agrarian markets, the promotion of multifunctional agriculture etc.Key words: European agriculture, EU, global trends, cAP, agrarian markets, multifunctional agriculture Abstrakt: Dynamika a formování evropského zemědělství jsou determinovány řadou značně různorodých a komplikovaných procesů a trendů, které se vzájemně ovlivňují a navíc působí odlišně ve vyspělých a rozvojových zemích. Pozornost bude věnována základním globálním trendům, roli společné zemědělské politiky, vlivu agrárních trhů, prosazování multifunkčního zemědělství aj.

Th e article analyses trends in the territorial and commodity structure of the Czech foreign agrarian trade and aims to identify changes which have occurred during the last decade. Th e main emphasis has been put on the period after the accession to the EU. Primarily such changes are identifi ed, that occurred in the relation to the EU-Member States and to third countries. Th e results show that the value of agricultural exports and imports was growing during the surveyed period while the growth rate of agricultural exports was above the growth rate of agricultural imports. Agricultural exports increased from CZK 78 billion in 2005 to more than CZK 160 billion in 2013 and the imports rose from CZK 103 billion to more than CZK 184 billion in the same period. Th e territorial structure of the foreign agrarian trace is continuously concentrating on the EU-Single Market, both in terms of exports and imports. Exports of milk, milk products, cereals, beverages, food preparations, tobacco and tobacco manufactures, cereal preparations, food residues and waste, oilseeds, vegetable fats and oils, sugar and confectionery belong to the most important commodity aggregations. Th e share of processed products in the total exports increased and reached currently about 7%. Th e export -import coverage ratio reached a satisfactory trend as well. Although the Czech Republic does not have ideal conditions for the export-oriented agriculture, the country is able to gain comparative advantages, at least at the level of following aggregations: HS10, HS01, HS12, HS24, HS04, HS17, HS15, HS11, HS16, HS22, HS03 a HS13.

Agrarian trade of the Czech Republic and Slovakia has undergone very significant changes in the period since the break-up of Czechoslovakia up to the present, which have influenced its commodity and territorial structure. The process of dividing the state, building a new business structure and the EU accession influenced the current form of Czech and Slovak agricultural trade and also particularly the competitiveness of Czech and Slovak agricultural and foodstuff products in relation to the EU market and also in relation to the world market. The process of transformation of agricultural production and trade in both countries has also affected their relationships. For this reason, the primary objective of this paper is to highlight the changes that have occurred in relation to the Czech and Slovak agricultural trade performance development – and in particular the changes in the mutual export and import operations are analysed. During the period 1994–2010, agricultural exports from the Czech Republic to Slovakia became considerably more dynamic than those in the opposite direction. Czech agricultural and foodstuff products have gradually established themselves and have gained comparative advantages over Slovak agrarian production. As a result of this development, a gradual increase of the negative balance of Slovak agricultural trade has occurred in relation to the Czech Republic. Since the Slovak agrarian sector has in recent years significantly decreased its own production capacity, in the future a continuation of the current trend can be expected.  

569Trade is historically the oldest and still an important part of the external economic relationships. its impact on the economic development of individual countries has deepened considerably over the whole period since the WW2; the international trade development belongs among the most dynamic elements of the development of the world economy in recent decades (Jeníček and Krepl 2009 Abstract: The paper analyses the commodity structure of agrarian trade of the EU countries. The comparative advantages of particular aggregations are accentuated from the view-point of their use on the EU internal market, and on the world market. The analysis is based on an evaluation of comparative advantages by means of a modified Ballas index. it is viewed on two levels, for the EU internal market and the world market. The results of the analysis are shown in a chart. Subsequently, the authors implement an idea arising from a Bcg (Boston consulting group) matrix on the results of a graphical representation. The aim is to point out mainly those aggregations (SiTc, rev. 3) which are, or have a potential to be, a pillar of agri-business, and vice versa to show the aggregations which are non-prospective in the long term, or problematic. The analysis is performed on two levels to utilise differences in the commodity structure of agrarian trade in both the cases of the old (EU-15) and the new EU member states (EU-12) (the member states which enlarged the EU in 2004 and 2007). From the results of the analysis, the significant changes are apparent if we compare commodity structures of trade of the countries of the EU-15 and EU-12.Key words: competitiveness, Lafay, Ballasa, index, revealed comparative advantage, agrarian trade, European Union Abstrakt: Článek analyzuje komoditní strukturu agrárního obchodu zemí EU. Důraz je kladen na komparativní výhody jednotlivých agregací z hlediska jejich uplatnění na vnitřním trhu EU a na trhu světovém. Analýza je založena na hodnocení komparativních výhod prostřednictvím modifikovaného Ballasova indexu. Ten je zpracován ve dvou rovinách a to pro vnitř-ní trh EU a trh světový. Výsledky analýzy jsou pak znázorněny graficky. na výsledky grafického zobrazení pak autoři implementují myšlenku vycházející z matice Bcg (Boston consulting group matrix). cílem je poukázat, zejména na ty z agregací (SiTc, rev.3), které jsou, a nebo mají potenciál být pilířem agroobchodu a naopak poukázat na ty z agregací, které jsou dlouhodobě neperspektivní, či problematické. Analýza je zpracována ve dvou rovinách, a to tak, aby byly postihnuty rozdíly v komoditní struktuře agrárního obchodu jak v případě starých (EU-15), tak i v případě nových členských států EU-12 (členské státy, které rozšířily EU v letech 2004 a 2007). z výsledků analýzy jsou pak zřetelné i změny, které existují, pokud porovnáme komoditní struktury obchodu zemí EU-15 a EU-12.Klíčová slova: konkurenceschopnost, Lafay, Ballasa, index, zjevná komparativní výhoda, agrární obchod, Evropská Unie Supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports cr (Proj...