MMR wants to simplify and unify the implementation of construction requirements with new regulations

Prague – The Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) wants to simplify and unify the implementation of construction requirements through decrees and changes in legal regulations. It has currently proposed a new decree on technical requirements for construction, for example, for hydraulic structures, swimming pools, water parks, and saunas. This includes, among other things, rules for defining land, placement, and technical parameters of buildings. The MMR is also preparing other legal regulations of the new construction law that will establish the content of construction project documentation or create a unified standard for spatial planning. The ministry informed about this in a press release available to ČTK.

According to MMR, the proposed decree on hydraulic structures develops the basic requirements for construction set by law. These should then be modern, technically feasible, and economically sustainable to protect public interests in construction.

"The aim of the decree is to clarify the requirements and ensure faster construction. All this while maintaining high-quality architecture, urban planning, and environmental protection as well as preserving open landscapes. In preparation, we focused mainly on whether the requirements truly serve the public interest," said Vice Prime Minister for Digitalization and Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš (Pirates).

By the end of this year, the MMR will further submit a decree on construction documentation to inter-ministerial comments, which will establish its scope and content. The new decree foresees an expansion of the documentation only for zoning decisions, which will also include fire safety and more detailed technical solutions enabling the assessment of mechanical resistance and stability of the project. In addition, the ministry previously informed that it is preparing a decree on analytical documents for spatial planning documentation on a unified standard.

The MMR expects that the decree on hydraulic structures, together with other implementing regulations of the new construction law, will come into effect on July 1, 2024. At the same time, a transitional period will apply until July 1, 2027, during which documentation according to current regulations can be used. The ministry made this decision based on criticism that the start of the new construction law's effectiveness from January 1 of next year would bring confusion in construction documentation and implementing regulations. The amendment to the construction law will come into effect on July 1, 2024, and for reserved buildings, such as highways or power plants, it will apply from the beginning of next year.

According to the new wording of the construction law, building authorities will themselves contact other authorities and obtain their opinions in a so-called coordinated binding opinion. This opinion will newly include a so-called unified environmental opinion (JES) according to the new law. In the end, there should only be one stamp for the builder. The building authority could initiate discussions with the concerned authorities and the builder if necessary. If someone appeals against the decision of the building authority, a higher authority will have to decide. The file will not be returned to a lower level.