The government approved the long-awaited heritage conservation law

Prague - The government today approved the long-awaited heritage protection law. It was announced to journalists by Simona Cigánková, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture. The new heritage protection law was one of the main promises of the government in the field of culture. According to the ministry, it allows for effective care of the heritage fund and gives authorities the tools to intervene when an owner neglects a heritage site. The Ministry of Culture has been working on the new regulation since 2012; if it passes through Parliament, it will replace the frequently amended law from 1987.
The law is set to take effect on January 1, 2018, amid criticism from heritage preservationists and various industry associations. Minister of Culture Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL) stated that the ministry attempted to settle contentious points. "In numerous discussions, we found a truly maximum level of consensus with all more or less involved parties of experts," said Herman.
The Association of Organizations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage (ASORKD) and the Association of Professional Heritage Care Workers (SPPPP) argue that the proposal reduces the extent of heritage protection, does not define the protection of tangible cultural heritage as a public interest, and does not bring the required systemic changes. According to ASORKD, the draft law does not protect the most valuable and simultaneously most endangered part of the domestic cultural heritage - historic cities. The Ministry dismisses the criticisms mostly by referring to the fact that critics have misunderstood the law.
Heritage associations have long criticized the forthcoming regulation. According to some of its representatives, the proposed law is worse than the one from 1987. "The socialist diction of the law has long been removed by amendments; it is technically sound and it is possible to protect heritage sites under it. If the state heritage care system is unable to operate according to it, it means that the relevant people have not learned to use it up to today," previously stated Martin Šerák from the Heritage Association of Český Krumlov.
According to the ministry, the new law more precisely defines and emphasizes the public interest in the protection of the heritage fund. An important change, according to the ministry, is "the possibility of compensating costs incurred in connection with the limitation of ownership rights of owners of properties that are not cultural heritage, but are located in heritage reserves and heritage zones." In practice, this means that owners of such properties will also be able to apply to the state for a subsidy for their care, which is not possible today. The law is also expected to allow authorities to respond better in cases where the owner of a heritage site fails to care for it.