The construction of the runway in Ruzyně is not in the public interest

Brno - The construction of a new runway at Prague-Ruzyně Airport will be more complicated. The Constitutional Court (CC) today annulled the law that designated the building of a new takeoff and landing strip as a public interest. The single-purpose law was intended to expedite and facilitate the construction. However, a group of 17 senators labeled it unconstitutional and proposed its repeal. The court granted the proposal, and now the reporter Dagmar Lastovecká is reading the justification.
    The regulation declared the runway and all related transport constructions as a public interest. It halved the deadlines in administrative proceedings and modified the administrative procedure, construction, and expropriation laws for this specific purpose.
    The annulment of the law will take effect on the day of its publication in the collection of laws. After that, the project will be subject to the same rules as any other construction.
    According to the senators, a flaw in the law is that it does not meet the requirement of so-called generality. It serves only one purpose - the construction of the runway. They argue that the problem also lies in the easier expropriation of land at prices customary in the area. Furthermore, the senators assert that the law contradicts the principle of separation of powers, infringes on the right to judicial protection, and the right to property.
    The brief law came into effect in 2005. Senators from various clubs submitted a proposal for its repeal only last year.
    The airport needs a new takeoff and landing strip due to the increasing volume of traffic and the potential for further development. The Constitutional Court also ruled on another decision on Wednesday that could influence the runway project. It ordered the Supreme Administrative Court to substantively address objections to the amendment of the Prague zoning plan, which permits the construction of the strip.