The draft of the building law, according to experts, threatens the permitting system in the Czech Republic

Prague - According to professional organizations, the amendment to the construction law has many shortcomings that seriously threaten the construction permit system in the Czech Republic. The change in the law will not significantly speed up construction or improve housing availability; rather, it may lead to increased operating costs of the system and worsen conditions for current employees in the offices. This was stated by representatives of associations representing municipalities, architects, engineers, officials, and ecologists at a discussion meeting in the Chamber of Deputies.

Professional associations fundamentally do not have a problem with the establishment of a central construction authority, which the amendment to the construction law anticipates. They consider its preparation and subsequent implementation problematic. The change in the law, which the Chamber of Deputies will address this week in its second reading, was submitted as a member's proposal. Thus, it did not have to undergo a commentary process or have an impact study (RIA) prepared. Experts consider this to be non-standard, especially for an amendment that, according to them, fundamentally alters the entire building code.

According to analyst Jindra Tužilová of the Association of Local Governments, deputies will vote on a law of which the public has no access to the full text due to the manner of submission. Additionally, after the second reading, it will be difficult to significantly amend the amendment. "It will be very difficult to correct anything unless the proposer decides to pull the handbrake," said Tužilová.

Experts believe that a fundamental problem is the setting of a transitional period between the full adoption of the amendment to the construction law and the establishment of a central construction authority. In 2027, a central Office for Spatial Development is to be established, and by January 1, 2028, the reform should be completed. However, the transfer of employees from the building authorities, who are expected to start working for the state instead of for municipalities, has not been resolved.

According to Jan Holický, chairman of the Association of Secretaries of Municipal and City Offices, employees generally face disadvantages after the transfer from municipalities to the state. Municipalities can offer employees several benefits that would be unacceptable to the state. Experts thus warn that building authority workers may not want to switch to the new system. Holický also pointed out that the financial impacts that the changes in the building code will have are unknown. However, he is certain that operation will be more expensive than the current system of construction administration.

According to Jan Kasl, chairman of the Czech Chamber of Architects, the amendment and the comprehensive set of amendments, which totals over 1000 pages, contain many errors. However, the individual shortcomings of the amendment are subordinate compared to the fact that the changes could lead to the collapse of the permitting system in the Czech Republic. According to him, the only projects that will be permitted before the completion of the construction reform will be large projects handled by the Transport and Energy Building Authority (DESÚ).

Anna Vinklárková from the environmental group Arnika stated that the new form of the law will mainly serve developers and will not protect the environment or citizens' rights. She considers it risky that the head of the Office for Spatial Development will control the entire network of building authorities without a supervisory body, which could lead to increased corruption.

The amendment is not opposed by the Confederation of Industry and Transport. They consider the establishment of a central construction authority beneficial, as it could help accelerate the construction of necessary infrastructure.