The proposal of the building law remains unacceptable for the regions

Prague - The proposal for a new building law remains unacceptable for regions even with the preservation of building offices in municipalities. This was stated today by the Association of Regions of the Czech Republic. According to them, the new law would bring billion-dollar costs and a decline in expertise in decision-making. They are also concerned about the threat to the public interest from large developers. The new law is supposed to expedite and simplify the approval of buildings, according to the Ministry for Regional Development, but it faces criticism from local governments, government offices, firefighters, preservationists, and the highest courts. Minister for Regional Development Klára Dostálová (for YES) wants to negotiate with the regional governors, she said.

Dostálová, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (YES), and the head of the Union of Towns and Municipalities František Lukl agreed on Monday to amend the proposal, under which officials responsible for building proceedings in municipalities will not be transferred to the state. Originally, 13,500 officials were to be transferred under the state; after the amendment, it would be about 7,000. Regions criticize that the new state building office would thus replace offices in regional offices, which according to the association would mean transferring a large number of employees, creating new workplaces, ensuring the division of archives, and other measures that would cost billions of crowns.

The transfer from regions to the state office would also involve expert binding opinions that serve to ensure the protection of cultural monuments, the environment, and other public interests. "None of the authors of the amendment has yet dispelled our concerns about the threat to the public interest posed by large developers," stated the governor of the Vysočina Region Jiří Běhounek, who is in charge of the Association of Regions of the Czech Republic. According to him, the change would introduce confusion into the system and significantly slow down the processing of many cases at least in the first few years, contradicting the aim of the law.

Minister Dostálová is ready to listen to all relevant comments on the law, she stated in response to the association's remarks. She considers the agreement with the Union of Towns and Municipalities on the preservation of building offices in municipalities to be binding, as it concerns the accessibility of services for citizens. "The state building office, which will also be established alongside this, will allow for the integration of the involved authorities, thus minimizing stamps and ensuring compliance with deadlines. Those are our priorities," she added.

The Association of Regions expects a decline in expertise and a significant increase in the risk of corruption from the transfer of agendas to one state office. According to Běhounek, it is not possible for "universal officials" from the proposed state office to comprehensively address, for instance, the complex issue of the environment.

"Accelerating territorial and building proceedings is therefore possible only through digitization and sensitive, balanced amendments to procedural rules, not just the building law but also the administrative code and other laws," noted Běhounek. According to him, the proceedings are delayed precisely due to the lack of digitization of project documentation and other materials and due to the extremely high number of appeals in both administrative and judicial processes.

Regions submitted comments on the proposal for the new building law in December. According to Běhounek, they continue to insist on their thorough settlement. According to CTK information, more than 5,000 comments were received on the draft law, of which about 84 percent are substantial remarks. The MMR is supposed to settle them by the end of March; the law is expected to be effective from next year. Minister Dostálová recently stated that the law would be effective from mid-2023. The transitional period will serve to familiarize the offices and the public with it.