The approval of the heritage law by the Chamber is being postponed

Prague - The Chamber of Deputies did not complete the second round of approval of the new heritage conservation law again, which, according to the Ministry of Culture, should allow for more effective care of the heritage fund. Several deputies, including government members, have reservations about the proposal. The lower house will return to the proposal at the earliest at the beginning of April; it ended its March session this evening.

The standard, according to Minister of Culture Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL), emphasizes the public interest in the protection of the heritage fund. On one hand, it should allow for intervention in cases where the owner does not care for a heritage property. On the other hand, it should grant compensation to property owners, who, although not protected, are subject to various restrictions due to their location in heritage areas.

However, the law has many critics among heritage conservationists and various professional associations, with at least 13 deputies preparing to propose amendments. Moreover, Deputy Jana Lorencová (for ANO) labeled the standard as excessively regulating and bureaucratic. She was concerned that it excludes heritage zones and reserves from cultural monuments. Therefore, the deputy proposed to return the standard to the government for revision. However, a similar proposal already failed in the first round of discussions.

At the next session, deputies will also vote on a draft amendment to the building law, which aims to expedite the approval process for particularly important infrastructure projects, or on tightening the conditions for business in the funeral services sector. The delay has also affected the voting on the draft that will change nursing education, or the initial round of discussions on the introduction of long-term nursing care benefits.