According to ICOMOS, the new building law will enable the devastation of heritage sites

Prague - The proposed amendment to the building law, according to the Czech branch of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), enables future devastation of cultural monuments, including those under UNESCO protection. According to experts, the law was created non-transparently under the influence of the construction lobby. The Czech National Committee of ICOMOS stated this in a press release today. The new building law is also criticized by some other groups of experts.

Just like in the case of the open letter from the rectors of several universities and art historians or the statement from the Association for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage, the Czech ICOMOS states that the presented concept of the amendment to the building law completely ignores the entire area of monument care.

"We must state that the proposal is contrary to valid laws as well as to the obligation to respect international conventions, by which the Czech state confirmed its responsibility to preserve the cultural legacy of past epochs," said Václav Girsa, president of the Czech ICOMOS council.

According to him, the proposal for the law in its current form aims at a complete dismantling of the principles of protection of public interest in preserving the values of cultural heritage. It involves the introduction of a fiction of consent in building proceedings, meaning that if the relevant authority does not express its opinion within 30 days, the so-called fiction of consent will apply and the construction will be permitted. "However, it is impossible to prepare opinions within this timeframe for larger buildings or projects that affect monument-protected areas. The abolition of the institution of binding opinions (of conservationists) and subordinating monument care to the decisions of the building authority will effectively end the independent activities of monument care authorities," Girsa fears.

"We share the opinion that it is necessary to find a way to speed up the process of preparing new construction. However, we cannot replace the current and overly complex system with a process that allows jeopardizing cultural heritage, including the environment. Improving life for small builders is commendable, but writing laws tailored for developers is unacceptable in a rule of law," he added.

ICOMOS also criticizes the fact that the draft amendment to the building law was prepared not by officials from the Ministry of Regional Development but by lawyers from the Chamber of Commerce. According to the council, it is not responsible for protecting public interests, only defending the economic interests of its members. The proposed concept is very accommodating to developers and other construction entrepreneurs, believes Girsa.

The Czech National Committee of ICOMOS is part of the non-governmental organization International Council on Monuments and Sites, which brings together experts in the fields of historical urbanism, protection of cities and landscapes, architecture, and monument care. Since 1972, ICOMOS has served as the main expert advisor to UNESCO on issues of cultural heritage.