The governors want to negotiate again on the proposal for a new building law

Brno - The governors do not consider Monday's agreement between the government and the Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic regarding the proposed new building law to be an agreement with local governments. This was stated today in Brno after a meeting with the Minister for Regional Development Klára Dostálová (for ANO) by the Liberec governor Martin Půta. The governors agreed with the minister to return to the negotiating table. According to the ministry, the law is supposed to speed up and simplify building approvals, but it is facing criticism from local governments, heritage protectors, and courts. According to the association, the new law would bring billion-dollar costs and is also concerned about compromising the public interest.

Dostálová, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), and the chairman of the Association of Towns and Municipalities František Lukl agreed on Monday to amend the proposal, according to which officials responsible for building permits in municipalities will not be transferred under the state. Originally, 13,500 were to be transferred to the state, but after the amendment, it would be about 7,000. "We do not consider the government’s agreement with the Association of Towns and Municipalities as an agreement with local governments. There was only one partner out of four, and we asked to return to the negotiating table,” stated Půta.

According to him, representatives from the Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic, the Association of Regions of the Czech Republic, the Association of Local Authorities of the Czech Republic, and the Association for the Renewal of the Countryside should also be at the table. "From our perspective, Mr. Chairman of the Association of Towns and Municipalities Lukl did not adhere to the basic rules we have established among ourselves, which is to listen to each other. That did not happen, and I regret that he cast the regions aside," said the governor of Pardubice Region Martin Netolický (ČSSD).

However, he said that Minister Dostálová understands that the regions hold a negative stance towards this and that it is necessary to address this. "The governors expressed dissatisfaction that discussions occurred without one local partner. On the other hand, I think we understood each other. We agreed that dialogues and addressing comments will continue," said Dostálová.

The governors fear that the amendment may eventually lead to a decrease in the influence of regions and cities. They are concerned about billion-dollar costs and a decline in expertise in decision-making, as well as a threat to the public interest from large developers.